22

Walker tried to act as if it was a day like any other, but after last night, all he could think about was Marlow, especially that moment in his truck when she’d pulled him over for a final kiss.

Why the big change in her right when he’d determined that he was a fool for continuing to care so much? Was what was happening between them for real? Was it possible that they might get into a serious relationship? Was he crazy to even have that thought?

She could treat him completely different the next time they saw each other.

“Hey, Chief, are you listening?” Officer Goff asked.

Walker drew his mind back to the meeting. He and his only two officers were having their weekly briefing in his office, where they were going over the various complaints and other calls they’d received in the past seven days, as well as anything that was unresolved or they needed to prepare for in the coming days. “Of course I’m listening,” he lied. “Why?”

“Because I said there were some teenagers setting off bottle rockets near the homes along the golf course last night, and you just looked at me as if you had no response.”

He was glad his department didn’t have bigger things to worry about at the moment. His head simply wasn’t in the game. “Did you drive over there?”

“Of course.”

“And?”

“The kids were gone by then, which is why I was asking if this is important enough that I should try to follow up, or if I should let it go.”

“I’m on duty tonight,” Walker said. “I’ll cruise through the area a few times to make sure we don’t have a repeat performance.”

“Sounds good.”

His other officer, Brody Smith, told him he’d received a complaint about a twelve-year-old who was being bullied by some other boys.

“There’s not much we can do to help that situation,” Walker said. “Not until the kids doing the bullying cross certain boundaries.”

“That’s what I told his mother,” Smith said. “I felt bad—she’s a single mom, and I know it’s tough for her to see her child suffer—but at this point, we’re only talking about some shunning and verbal taunts.”

“How can we police that?” Goff agreed.

“Give me her name and address,” Walker told him. “I’ll swing by to have a talk with both the mom and the boy. I’ll see if they feel it might do some good for me to approach the other boys with a warning.”

“Will do,” Smith said.

They discussed a couple of scientists who were coming to the island to study the prevalence of certain fish in Teach’s waters, and Smith agreed to attend the next chamber of commerce meeting, since Walker had attended the last one and Goff had attended the one before that. Then they adjourned for lunch.

As soon as both officers walked out of his office, Walker reached for his phone. He wanted to text Marlow to tell her he couldn’t wait to see her again.

But he didn’t trust last night enough to be so transparent. Every time he’d pursued her in the past, she’d rebuffed him. Revealing his eagerness would probably only chase her away.

So he shoved his phone in his pocket and walked a block to his favorite public beach, where he could purchase a hot dog from a local vendor.

Marlow grew bored searching for shells long before Claire did. Aida was ready to quit, too, so they returned to their towels and let their friend continue without them.

“Is she going to keep this up all summer?” Aida asked, watching Claire, who was diligently walking along the shoreline, her head bent as she studied the sand.

“She’s pretty determined,” Marlow said.

“She’s so earthy.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I like it. But it’s hard for me to imagine Dutton with someone like her. He’s all about big boobs, high heels and long eyelashes.”

Marlow could tell Aida was jealous and felt sorry for her, but she didn’t want to talk about Claire in any way that could be considered disparaging. Fanning the flames of Aida’s jealousy would just tear them all apart. “Dutton isn’t worthy of either one of you. Why don’t you tell me about Reese instead?”

“What about Reese?”

“Have you heard from him?”

“No.” She adjusted the wide brim of her hat to help block the sun. “But I knew from the beginning that last night wasn’t about falling in love. I’m sure he did, too.”

“Will it be awkward for you to see him again? I mean, we’ll be living at Seaclusion until the summer’s over.”

“It might be a little awkward. I lied when I told you he texted me.” She gave Marlow a sheepish glance. “I texted him.”

Marlow gaped at her.

“I was feeling so down on myself,” Aida explained. “I just wanted to be with someone.”

“And he said to come over or what?”

“Basically.” Aida moved to avoid the sand kicked up by some kids who went running past. “So what about you? Have you heard from Walker?”

Marlow pulled her phone out of her bag to check and was disappointed when she had no texts or missed calls from him. “No.”

“Maybe you should send him a message.”

“And say what?”

“That you had a great time last night.”

“No way. That’s such a cliché!”

“From what you said, it’s true.”

Marlow had just opened her mouth to respond when Aida grabbed her wrist.

“Oh, my god, there he is.”

“Reese?”

“Walker!” she replied. “Isn’t that him?”

When Marlow turned, she saw Walker from the back. He stood out because he was a head taller than anyone else standing in line at Bigger Wieners, a popular hot dog stand that’d gotten a lot of press due to its name—not to mention he was wearing a uniform when everyone else was in a swimsuit. “That is him,” she said.

Aida gave her shoulder a slight push. “Go talk to him.”

“He’s probably working.”

“Are you kidding? He’s waiting for a hot dog. I think he can talk even if he’s officially on duty.”

Marlow wanted to see him; she just wasn’t sure what to say. Last night felt so different from the other times they’d been together. They’d entered brand-new territory, and she was slightly apprehensive about it.

“If you don’t hurry, he’ll leave before he knows you’re here,” Aida prodded.

“Okay.” Marlow stood up and tied her sarong around her hips. Before she could reach him, however, a woman who looked about her age or a little younger, with long sandy-colored hair, a dark tan and a curvy figure, approached him, smiling brightly as she told him something that seemed to necessitate touching him at every opportunity.

“It’s been a week since you’ve called,” Marlow heard the woman say. “Have I done anything wrong?”

Marlow stopped abruptly. But Walker, who’d turned when the woman spoke to him, caught sight of her before he could even respond. “Um, sorry,” he said, somewhat mechanically, his gaze on Marlow. “I’ve been busy.”

The woman leaned in to make some remark Marlow couldn’t hear, then laughed flirtatiously while touching his arm again.

Feeling awkward and presumptuous—foolish, too—Marlow turned around and hurried back to Aida.

“Who is that?” Aida asked.

“I don’t know,” Marlow replied.

Aida frowned. “She sure seems familiar with Walker.”

“Yes, she does.”

They probably would’ve continued to discuss what’d happened, but Aida put a quick end to it by saying, “Here he comes,” and Marlow tried to force a smile for Walker’s benefit.

“Hey,” he said when he was close enough to speak.

Marlow conjured up a smile as she and Aida came to their feet. “Hi.”

“I would’ve thought you’d be at Seaclusion if you wanted to lie out on a beach.”

Aida shaded her eyes against the sun. “There’s more action here,” she said, motioning at all the fun going on around them.

“Claire wanted to do some shell hunting,” Marlow added.

He nodded, swallowing a bite of his hot dog before meeting Marlow’s gaze. “How’s your mom today?”

Marlow tucked her hair behind her ears. “I checked in with her this morning. She’s okay.”

He searched her face but didn’t seem to know what to say next. He attempted some more small talk and stayed long enough to finish his food, but Marlow could tell he felt uncomfortable, and so did she.

It wasn’t until after he’d left and she and her friends were back at the guesthouse showering for dinner that he sent her a text referring to the incident on the beach.

Marlow had a towel around her head and had yet to get dressed, but nothing else seemed as important as this. Is she one of the women you’ve been dating? The one you told me about, who lives here on the island?

Several minutes passed, giving her the impression that he was reluctant to respond. But eventually he wrote, Yes.

Are you going to continue to see her? Did she even have the right to ask? Probably not, but she had to know.

She paced at the end of her bed as she awaited his answer. She could hear Aida and Claire talking back and forth as they got ready and hoped they wouldn’t be ready too soon. She needed this time.

Say no. Say no. Say no, she chanted silently to Walker.

That depends... came his response.

The familiar way “Lisbeth” kept touching him paraded through her mind again. On...

She sent a question mark, although she could tell where this was going.

She wasn’t ready to determine how she felt about him. And she certainly wasn’t ready to share whatever that determination turned out to be. But the thought of him with Lisbeth made her sick to her stomach.

She sank onto her bed, and while she was stewing about her answer, she got another text from him: Marlow? Are you willing to care about me?

Marlow had never been so terrified. Caring created an obligation. Caring took things to another level and left her vulnerable. She’d never given any man the power to hurt her. She’d witnessed one ugly divorce after another. But he wasn’t asking her to marry him. And when she remembered the way Lisbeth had been acting on the beach, trying to make herself so alluring, she found it upsetting enough that she knew she was no longer on safe ground where Walker was concerned whether she admitted it or not.

I already do, she wrote back.

Walker got off work at eleven. As soon as he got home, he texted Marlow to see if she was still up. She called him when she received his message but said she had her alarm set for six because she had to drive to Miami to catch a flight, so she was already in bed.

They decided to see each other on Sunday instead and hung up. But then she called him right back.

“Never mind,” she said. “Come get me.”

“What about your flight?” he asked.

“I can sleep on the plane.”

“It only takes two hours to fly to Atlanta.”

“I’ll survive. I want to see you.”

He felt light as air when she said that. “I’ll be over in ten minutes.”

Walker took a quick shower, dressed and scooped up the keys to his motorcycle.

Marlow was waiting for him outside the entrance to Seaclusion. She put on the helmet he handed her, and he helped tighten the chin strap before she climbed on behind him as though she was just as eager to see him as he was to see her.

The moment he felt her arms go around his waist, he gave the bike some gas and knew, whatever happened, he’d always consider this to be one of his happiest memories.

Walker’s body was so warm and comfortable that Marlow was loath to get out of bed. Why not enjoy her time with him while she could and have him take her home in the morning a little earlier than her alarm would’ve gone off? She could prepare for the trip at that point, and no one would be the wiser. Fortunately, she was only going to Atlanta for the day, so she didn’t need to pack anything.

“Do you need to go?” he asked as she snuggled closer.

“Not yet. I’ll sleep here with you and get up at five. Want to tell me where to find the keys to your SUV? I could drive it to Seaclusion and have Aida or Claire bring it back after they wake up in the morning.”

“Don’t worry. I’m happy to get up with you.”

She was sort of relieved he’d offered. She didn’t really want her mother or his to see his truck parked in the drive so early. “What time do you have to work tomorrow?”

“Luckily, it’s my day off.”

“Then it sucks that I’m going to be gone.”

“No kidding.” He shifted to bring her even closer, and she felt him press a kiss to her temple before he nodded off again.

Getting up at five turned out to be easier said than done. When the alarm on Marlow’s phone went off, she groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. It was Walker who turned off the noise.

“Want me to make you some coffee?” he mumbled, obviously still half-asleep.

“There’s no time. I have to dress and get out of here right away, in case there’s traffic.”

“Okay.” He didn’t seem remotely self-conscious about his nudity—not that he had any reason to be—as he climbed out of bed, tossed her the yoga pants and T-shirt she’d left on his floor and went into the bathroom.

As the door closed, she remembered the tenderness with which he’d made love to her last night. He was the best man she’d ever known—except for her father—and sexy as hell. It was little wonder Lisbeth had approached him the way she had yesterday. Marlow was beginning to think a woman would have to be crazy not to want Walker.

“I don’t hear any movement,” he called out.

She chuckled as she dragged herself out of bed and slowly began to dress.

“I could’ve made coffee in the time it took you to put on your panties,” he joked when he came out.

“I just want to go back to bed,” she complained.

He lifted her chin with one finger as he slipped past her and brushed his lips against hers. “You and me both. I’m awake enough now that we could make good use of any time we had.”

She caught his arm before he could move too far away from her, and they kissed again. “You’re insatiable.”

He grabbed her butt as he nuzzled her neck. “When it comes to you, I am.”

Once he’d pulled on some sweats, he dug his keys out of the pocket of the jeans he’d thrown over a chair and, after waiting for her to finish dressing, took her hand as they walked out and hurried down the steps.

“Will you text me when you get home, so I’ll know you’re back safe?” he asked as he opened the passenger door of the SUV.

“Maybe I’ll drop off Aida and Claire and drive over here in the Jeep.”

He looked surprised. “Okay.” He pulled a key off his ring. “Doesn’t matter what time it is. Just let yourself in and crawl into bed with me.”

She put the key in the side pocket of her yoga pants, but when she glanced up to see why he hadn’t yet closed the door, she found him looking at her with an odd expression. “What is it?” she asked.

“I hope you’re pregnant,” he replied.

She gaped at him. “We’ve only been seeing each other a week!”

He shrugged. “That may be true, but I’ve loved you since I can remember.”