San Diego Bay across from the airport offered the best and the most immediate respite.
Keagan drove straight to it, parked, and found a bench along the sidewalk. Water lapped at the large rocks that shored up the bayfront. To his left was the downtown skyline. Across the water, a navy helicopter lifted off from North Island. A sailboat drifted by.
He breathed in the salt air and willed his mind to slow, his heart rate to ease up. It took several minutes until he could no longer feel the presence of Jasmyn.
She was nothing like Amy had been. Petite, yes. Fun loving, well, yes, that too. Dimples. Check. Sparkling eyes, yes. Though different colors. But Amy had taken down drug dealers. Jasmyn wouldn’t be able to do that in a million years. Wouldn’t want to.
When Amy died, when she had been killed…
Keagan blinked the bay into view again.
The point was, he did not want to go down any road that led to entanglements which would, in one way or another, come apart, and that would then rip him apart. It was a good thing for Jasmyn to go home.
He admitted now, without reservation, that she intrigued him. That she touched him deep inside where nothing had touched for years. He assumed the place had closed up shop when Amy left.
Evidently not.
No matter. Life moved on, his life nothing like his parents’ lives, nothing like his grandparents’.
He imagined his grandmother, a woman as feisty as Liv, and smiled. She would tell him he missed out on too much because he was stubborn as a mule, and someday he would be sorry for cutting off his nose to spite his face. She liked her clichés.
Sorry, Gram, you got a freak for a grandson. Not your fault.
His phone rang. He considered not answering it.
But he always answered it. Owning a business and being committed to Liv dictated that he always answer it.
He pulled it from his back jeans pocket and saw Jasmyn’s name.
“Jasmyn?”
“Hi. Um…”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s…well, nothing. Not exactly. Except I’m not getting on the plane. Can you come get me?”
“Of course. Where?”
“Where you dropped me off?”
“Give me three minutes.”
“That’s all?”
“Yeah. I’m close by.”
Her intake was audible. “Okay,” she whispered as she exhaled.
Dimples, fun loving, bright blue-violet eyes.
He could almost hear his grandmother laughing.
Jasmyn sat on her large purple roll-along near the curb, her carry-on and handbag on the sidewalk at her feet. She squinted in the late afternoon sun.
Keagan parked and got out of the van.
She twisted her mouth into a semblance of a smile. It was the only movement she made.
Keagan shoved his sunglasses on top of his head and knelt before her, eye level. “What happened?”
“Well.” She bit her lip, her brows knitted.
“Are you sick?”
“No. I’m sorry. It’s just—We should go.”
“Where to?”
Her eyes went wide and she put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, no. Can’t I go back to Liv’s?”
“I’m sure you can. Is that what you want?”
She nodded and nodded, and then she nodded some more. Her eyes filled.
Tears were a no-brainer. He helped her stand and wrapped his arms around her. She fit neatly, as he knew she would.
She cried against him.
A traffic cop gazed at them, a half dozen cars down the curb. Keagan held up a finger. Give us a minute.
Or two or three…
“Jasmyn, what’s wrong?”
She looked up at him, nestled in his arms. “Nothing. Not really.” She wiped a hand across her face. “I don’t know why I’m crying. It’s kind of happy stuff. Crazy and weird but— Oh, Keagan. Quinn just told me I have a sister! A half sister, obviously. And she lives in San Diego! And I can meet her on Friday! Do you believe it? My whole entire life, I had no idea.”
It was Keagan’s turn to be dumbfounded. From what he knew, Jasmyn did not have family, no relatives whatsoever.
“See what I mean?” she said. “Where am I supposed to put that information?”
“Is it true?”
“It seems like it could be.” Her bottom lip quivered and her face crumpled.
He pulled her close again. “I guess you just cry till you get used to it.”