B07D56N64C (F)

by Katlyn Duncan

  Later that evening, Rose stared at herself in the mirror. The knee-length black dress was perfect. She hadn’t been a fan of the loud floral patterns that made up most of Missy’s wardrobe. Simple and elegant was more her style. This date was a trial run for getting back in the saddle, and she wanted to be herself. If only she could calm down. Each time she thought of Shane, her skin flushed, and an uncomfortable heat flooded her body.

  A simple wave flowed through her hair, keeping with the casual theme. She put more makeup on than normal, adding blush and a smidge of eye shadow and liner to accentuate her eyes.

  A swirl of guilt created an ache in her chest. In the short amount of time between Missy coming over for a fashion show and work, she hadn’t had a chance to visit Mom. She’d called twice throughout the day, but Mom had been sleeping both times. Rose should have been there for Mom, but for once, she selfishly put herself first. Reen’s snarky voice shredded through her mind.

  Shaking her head, she pushed her family away for a little while. There was no going back now, and at least she’d have something to talk to Mom about during their next visit.

  With a few minutes to spare, she paced the length of her apartment until she was sure there would be an indentation of her path across the linoleum floor.

  Hearing a car door slam outside, her pulse spiked. She sprinted to her bedroom, and stood off to the side, peering out the window facing the street. Her stomach fluttered, and her skin flushed again.

  Shane’s sunglasses covered his eyes, adding to his mystery – one that she was slowly unraveling. He wore charcoal-colored dress pants and a navy-blue button-down with the top few open, revealing a sliver of his broad chest. She’d never seen him so relaxed. In his hand, he held a bouquet of colorful flowers.

  Her skin flushed again. The last few dates she’d had over the years never brought her anything. Shane was already starting out a step above.

  Moving away from the window, she lowered herself to the bed. Her mirrored reflection glanced at her from across the room. She straightened, feeling more confident and beautiful than she had in some time. Mom’s eyes and nose stared back at her as she stood up, pulling her hair away from her shoulder and gliding her fingers down the strands.

  When Shane knocked on the door, tingles washed over her skin. She was ready for this.

  Chapter 13

  Shane knocked on Rose’s door, and she counted to ten before walking out of her bedroom and through the kitchen. She opened the door, and Shane lifted his sunglasses as he handed over the flowers.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, waving him inside.

  He lifted his sunglasses and walked in. ‘You look great.’

  Rose’s cheeks flushed. She was thankful that she wasn’t facing him as she grabbed the glass vase from the cabinet. ‘You too.’ She allowed the water from the faucet to flow through her fingers, before moving the glass under the stream. It gave her a short reprieve from the heat surging through her body.

  He peered into her small living room. ‘It’s nice here. But no ocean view?’

  Rose cleared her throat and brought the vase to the table. ‘No.’ Her eyes widened realizing that she’d forgotten all about the stack of romance novels she planned to return to the library. Half-naked men posed from the covers. A cardigan hung from the back of one of the chairs, and she tossed it on top of the stack.

  If Shane noticed them, he was polite enough not to say anything.

  For some reason, Shane standing in her apartment felt right. As if he’d been one of her family members visiting. She settled in the moment for a few seconds. Would Shane fit into her life the same as he tried to in her town?

  Only time would tell.

  ‘Ready?’ Shane went for the door at the same time she did. They ended up in an awkward dance before Shane grabbed the knob, opening it for her. She took her keys from the counter and shoved them into the small silver handbag that Missy had let her borrow. It barely fit her wallet and phone, and with the keys in there, it only zipped halfway.

  On the ride to dinner, Rose wasn’t sure how to make conversation with Shane. He was right that she wanted to know about the girl who’d jumped, but she realized she hadn’t thought much of the girl at all in anticipation of the date, which added to her guilt about Pearl. She didn’t want to be the woman who forgot about everything when a guy was involved, but she couldn’t help it. Not when Shane felt more right to her than any other guy she’d dated. She didn’t feel she had a reason to think that, but what if this was what Mom and Dad had felt?

  ‘Where are we going?’ Rose asked.

  ‘The Sea View Club,’ he said.

  Rose blinked a few times. It was a members-only club a few towns over. Several multimillion-dollar mansions that overlooked the ocean shared its sea views.

  ‘Are you a member?’

  Shane bumped her arm. Probably an accident, but her pulse spiked at being so close to him. ‘No, but I know someone who is. He pulled a few strings for tonight.’

  ‘That’s cool,’ she said and immediately regretted it. Cool? Really, Rose? She sounded like she was in high school again. The butterflies in her stomach and the tugging in her throat were things she couldn’t recall feeling since then.

  ‘Does this work for you?’ he said.

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’ve always wanted to go there.’

  Shane smiled, and her breath hitched. ‘Good.’

  It wasn’t more than a fifteen-minute drive to the club.

  Shane’s hand brushed against Rose’s as they walked side by side up the narrow concrete toward the Sea View Club. The elite property overlooked the other side of the bay toward The Burrow. As they walked, Rose tugged on her dress, unsure if she’d dressed appropriately. No doubt Shane could walk in with no shirt, and they’d let him in, but her stomach fluttered as they approached the beautiful pale yellow building.

  He offered his arm to her, and she rested her hand against his sinewy muscles.

  Inside, the lobby was more comfortable and opulent than she expected. Thick, fluffy chairs with mismatched patterns peppered the space between the white paneled columns. A massive stone fireplace hugged the far wall, and Rose could have sat there all night if it weren’t for the view through the double doors on the far end of the room. The view of the ocean was endless, and she had to force herself to take a breath.

  The hostess – a young brunette girl – led them across the space toward the outdoor patio.

  Shane didn’t know that the ocean usually caused Rose to flee. She squeezed his arm harder, and he looked at her. She hadn’t been that close to him before without his sunglasses. At least not in a brightly lit place. Flecks of copper swirled closer to his pupils, adding more depth to them than she’d seen before.

  As they stepped out onto the patio, Rose couldn’t take her eyes off the water. Glancing over the metal railing, surrounding the patio, the beach was quite a distance away. She released her breath and settled into her chair.

  ‘This okay?’ Shane asked her after the hostess left.

  ‘It’s great,’ she said. ‘Really beautiful.’

  ‘Good. You seemed a little nervous back there.’

  She nodded, feeling herself shutting down again. It took much of her strength to open her mouth and tell her truth. ‘When I was little, I almost drowned. I haven’t had a good relationship with the ocean since.’

  ‘Which is why you rented out the house. Makes sense.’

  Rose shrugged. ‘I stayed for my mother. She loved – loves the ocean more than anything. I don’t think I could ever move out of The Burrow as long as she’s still around.’

  ‘Do you want to?’ he asked.

  She shook her head. ‘I’d like to travel. But The Burrow is my home. I’m happy there.’

  ‘How is your mother?’ he asked as a busser poured Pellegrino into their glasses. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t ask about her last night.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘You were busy being the hero.’

  He chuck
led. ‘I’m not sure hero is the right word.’

  She sipped from her glass. ‘She’s doing as well as can be expected.’ She didn’t want to spoil the mood.

  ‘That’s good to hear,’ he said, lifting the menu.

  ‘If you order a burger, I think I might die of shock.’

  ‘What? Missy makes good burgers.’

  ‘She does.’ Rose laughed and took a sip from her water glass.

  ‘I haven’t had fish in a while,’ he said.

  Rose browsed the menu. Most were fish dishes. It made sense for where they were. Since most of the places around were near the coastline, seafood dominated the other fare.

  Their server came over, another young, pretty girl. There seemed to be a theme to this place, though she did know the summer months were big on seasonal help. And she knew that Shane wasn’t the only one with connections to the club.

  If only she’d worked there as a teen. She might have been able to save enough money to get out before The Burrow solidified its hold on her. Though, working with her best friend since high school gave her priceless memories and a steady job.

  After ordering fried calamari and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, the two settled back in their chairs and watched the ocean at a distance.

  ‘It’s nice having this view every morning,’ he said. ‘The only water views I ever had were driving over bridges.’

  ‘Tell me about being a cop in New York City,’ she said.

  ‘I wouldn’t even know where to start.’

  ‘Well, I’ve only been there on a few school trips. To the Met, a Yankees game, and I saw Phantom of the Opera once, so I don’t have much knowledge of the place.’

  He eyed her before taking another sip of his drink. ‘My pops was a cop and so was his. I inherited the gene.’

  ‘I bet it was much different than here,’ Rose said.

  ‘No kidding.’ He cleared his throat. ‘No offense.’

  ‘None taken. I prefer to live in a quiet place like this. I don’t do well with change.’

  ‘You know, I could tell that about you.’

  ‘Cute,’ she said, narrowing her eyes.

  ‘I’m the same, you know. With change and all that. Coming here felt like a death sentence.’

  ‘Why’s that?’

  He adjusted in his seat and pressed his palm against his leg. ‘I got injured on the job.’

  ‘You couldn’t go back to work?’

  ‘I could have. But glued to a desk for the rest of my career. I thought my life was over. When Patrick called my pops and talked about retiring, it was a second chance for me.

  ‘Do you miss it?’

  He shrugged. ‘Sometimes.’

  Their meals arrived, and Rose chewed over his story as well as the delicious swordfish. His family lived and protected the City. She knew firsthand how much The Burrow meant to Patrick and imagined that tenfold with Shane in the City since he was a third-generation police officer there. Under the surface of his story was another layer that she wanted to peel back. Just as she knew there was more to the girl who’d jumped, there was more to Shane as well. Pressure built inside of her as a flurry of questions entered her mind.

  For once, she was able to put a lid on them and enjoy being in the present with the man across from her. She’d come into the date with no expectations and wanted to take her time getting to know him.

  As if neither wanted the night to end, they both ordered dessert and coffee. But there wasn’t much to do after that. Most of the club was closed so it wasn’t as if they could wander around to prolong their time together.

  The first time Shane mentioned the case was on the ride home. ‘Which nursing home is your mom staying at again?’

  ‘The Whinding House,’ she said. ‘Why?’

  ‘There was an incident there last week,’ he said. ‘I watched the tape. The girl who went there matches the description of the jumper.’

  She bit down on her lip, harder than necessary. She still didn’t believe that the girl had committed suicide since her gut told her she must have gotten away. And she didn’t want to get Katrina in trouble for telling her about the break-in.

  ‘So, she went there before jumping off the pier?’

  ‘It looks like it.’

  ‘What else did you find?’ Rose asked.

  ‘Not much else other than another pin in her timeline. I wanted to let you know.’

  ‘They changed the key code into the memory unit,’ Rose said, not wanting to look overly aloof.

  ‘There’s also a twice-daily patrol of the area. At least for the summer months.’

  ‘Thanks for letting me know.’

  He reached over and took her hand. She turned it over and twined her fingers with his. He glanced at her and held her gaze for a few seconds before turning to the road again.

  Missy’s words echoed in her mind on repeat. Someone has to get some. As if it was that easy. Or was it?

  The thought of feeling Shane’s skin against hers created a pooling warmth in her middle, and she wished he’d drive a little faster to her apartment.

  She debated on what to do the entire rest of the ride. Classic Rock poured out of the speakers, and Rose became hyper-aware of all of Shane’s little movements. Especially the way his thumb dragged over the top of her hand.

  Once they were in Mrs. Collins’s driveway, Shane got out and jogged over to her side, opening her door for her.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said.

  Shane shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced at the house before turning his dark eyes to her. ‘I had a great time tonight, Rose.’

  She shivered as her name rested on his lips. ‘Me too.’

  Licking his lips, he stepped closer. He stilled as if asking her silent permission. It was more than okay with her. She leaned in to him as his fingers traced her jawline. Electricity coursed down her spine as his mouth tentatively touched hers. A wave of pleasure swelled in her chest as she reached up, pulling him closer. She poured every ounce of herself into the kiss, and by the time they pulled away from each other, they were breathing heavily, both their chests rising and falling together. He tucked her hair behind her ears and pressed one more kiss against her swollen lips.

  ‘I should go,’ he said.

  She reached for him, grabbing on to his shirt, tugging him closer. ‘Stay.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Unless you have somewhere else to be.’

  ‘Hell, no,’ he said, kissing her again.

  She smiled against his lips and allowed her body to mold against his. They kissed for a while in the driveway. At some point, Rose noticed movement from Mrs. Collins’s front window. The curtain concealed her elderly neighbor a little too late.

  She kissed Shane one more time and then took his hand, leading him into her apartment.

  Chapter 14

  The one thing Rose never expected with having a guest over for the night was the violent return of her nightmares. This time, it wasn’t both Rose and the girl in the ocean. Rose stood by the railing of the pier, peering down at the struggling girl, writhing in the water below. The girl’s thick hair covered her face as she fought against the current. As if she were a fish out of the water, her mouth opened and closed, desperate to breathe again. For a moment, the entire world stilled. Every muscle in Rose’s body tensed. While she wanted to reach down to grab the girl, her paralyzing fear was too much to overcome. The girl gasped, and then something pulled her under. The water silenced her final scream.

  Rose sat up in bed, gasping for air. In the final seconds of the nightmare, she’d switched bodies, becoming the drowning girl. She choked and gagged on the invisible water filling her lungs.

  ‘Rose?’ Shane asked, sitting up beside her. ‘What’s wrong?’

  Even though it was five in the morning, the room was light enough to see the concern in Shane’s wide eyes.

  ‘I had a nightmare,’ she said, putting her head into her hands. Her body flushed, and she couldn’
t think of a worse time to experience her recurring dream.

  ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ Shane asked, tracing a finger down her arm.

  She glanced at him. In all her years with the nightmare, she’d only told her family about it. Not even Missy knew. It was so intensely personal.

  They’d had sex the night before – it was the most intimate thing anyone could do. ‘My nightmares are about drowning. I used to have them as a kid, but then they went away. The girl – she brought them back.’

  ‘That’s why you’re so invested?’

  Rose nodded. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Don’t be. What can I do? Do you want to get up or try and sleep again?’

  It was her day off, and if she could extend the time they had together, she would. ‘I’m tired.’

  They lay down again, this time facing each other. Shane weaved his fingers with hers. ‘I’m here for you.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said.

  He kissed each of her fingers, and her eyes fluttered closed. His breathing soothed her, and she clung to it as she drifted off to sleep again.

  They woke two hours later. When her eyes cracked open, Shane stood near the dresser, already fully dressed and buckling his belt.

  ‘Are you leaving?’ she asked.

  He glanced over his shoulder. ‘I was going to grab breakfast while you slept.’

  She wasn’t ready for all of this to end yet. ‘Can I come? I have to stop by the Whinding House, and there’s a good diner nearby.’

  He checked the clock on her nightstand. ‘We’ll have to take separate cars. I don’t want to be late for work.’

  ‘Of course,’ she said, pulling the covers over her bare chest.

  Shane’s eyes drifted to the movement and he stepped closer to her. He leaned over the bed and kissed her, slow enough to make her toes curl. He cupped her face in his hands and breathed her in. Even though he started it, it ended much too quickly.