As I looked down into her face, it was the first time I wanted to kiss her. The thought surprised and alarmed me. “I should go.”

  “Uhh...yes.” She tried to step to the side, but so did I, and we ran into each other again. We both shifted, again, each in the path of the other.

  I took her shoulders and moved the two of us until she was facing the door and I had my back to it. “Goodnight, Remi.”

  “Yeah. Okay. Goodnight.”

  The next morning, I woke around 5:15, and it was still dark. My dad had awakened in a crappy mood, probably due to a hangover, so I’d changed quickly and was out the door before he was any the wiser. As I crossed the lawn to the Lawson’s, I could see a light on in the kitchen.

  Good. Someone’s up.

  But as I drew closer, I could see through the slider that someone wasn’t up. In fact, someone had never gone to bed. Remi laid asleep on the table, surrounded by pieces of paper, textbooks, and spirals—what seemed to be the entire contents of her backpack. I slipped the key from under the mat and tried to open the door as quietly as possible, but Remi pulled in a deep breath and pushed off the table. She blinked and seemed to be getting her bearings.

  She stretched and gave me a lazy smile. “Good morning, Levi.” Her voice was thick from sleep. She stopped mid-stretch. “Levi? Levi!” She frantically snatched up papers and books and spirals. “Oh my gosh! What time is it?”

  “Uhh...maybe twenty to six or something...”

  “Oh.” She looked like she would cry. “I-I fell asleep. I can’t believe I fell asleep.” She ceased her flurry of activity and said in a flat voice, “I’m going to fail this test.”

  I dropped my backpack on the floor. “No, you’re not. I’ll help you.” I quizzed her while she ate breakfast and packed lunches for her and Wyatt. I continued even after the others came into the kitchen and her parents had joined her at the table. I followed her into the living room after she had put her bowl in the sink, rattling off questions. She knew most of it well, as I expected, but a few areas she was weak in, so I concentrated on those.

  “I have to go get dressed.”

  I shuffled the notecards together and handed them to her. “Here.”

  “Thanks.” She started to leave but spun. “Levi?” She was a stair higher but she leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for helping me.” Then she was gone. I stared after her. When I turned, her parents were both watching me with raised brows. I slunk away to the front room to wait for Remi and Wyatt to come down so we could walk to the bus together.

  “Earth to Levi.”

  I jumped.

  He chuckled. “What were you thinking about, dude? You were spacing out.”

  I straightened. “Just remembering times I had here.”

  “Yeah. We had some good times, didn’t we?”

  Remi walked in and we made eye contact. That same bolt of electricity passed between us as had earlier.

  “Yeah. We did.”

  Remi’s cheeks flushed and she ducked her head. “Well, we’re going home now.”

  “Levi,” Wyatt said quickly, “could you walk them to the car? I always walk them to the car but I have to...get the boys to bed.” Misty ran to latch onto his legs, giggling.

  Remi glanced at me then back to her brother, licking her lips. “Wyatt? It’s barely eight, and you never walk me out to my car.”

  “Well, I should. It’s a dangerous neighborhood.” Misty released Wyatt and ran to me, hugging my legs. He walked over to Remi and got behind her, pushing her toward the door. She slid across the linoleum. “And besides, he needs a ride home, don’t you, Levi?”

  I was rubbing Misty’s hair and wasn’t prepared to be pulled into the conversation. “Well...yes, but I can call a driver.”

  “No need to do that,” Wyatt insisted. “The Sands is right on Remi’s way home.”

  “It is not,” she hissed at him.

  He looked at her sternly. “What? You’re not giving our good friend Levi here a ride home?”

  That caught her off-guard. “Well...yes. Sure. If he needs a ride I’ll give him a ride, but—”

  “Good. It’s settled then. See you guys tomorrow.”

  He vacated so quickly Remi lost her balance, flailed for a moment before she caught onto a chair. I opened the door and Misty ran out. I bowed my head. “After you.”

  She marched through the door, and I fell in step. Misty was holding the handle of the car door and jumping around while grinning to beat the band. “I think you may be in trouble when you get home with her. She seems like she’s full of energy.”

  “Yeah.” She snorted. “I’m pretty sure Wyatt slipped her some cotton candy. I’m so going online tonight—when I’m no doubt awake with her—and ordering huge packages of candy from the popcorn shop on Main Street for Beck and Kane. It’s called What’s Poppin’? and has bins full of nostalgic candy, like candy cigarettes, Slow Pokes, those wax soda bottle things... They’ll be climbing the walls.”

  “Remind me never to piss you off,” I joked. Then I thought about what I’d said. “Oh, wait. Too late.”

  She elbowed me. “Stop. You know I could never stay mad at you for long.”

  “I’m counting on it,” I said with a wink.

  She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her shoulders like she’d gotten a cold chill up her spine, but she refused to look at me.

  “Hey, missy,” she called ahead. “You sit in the back.”

  Misty rolled her eyes in exaggerated fashion, giving an open-mouthed grin, then moved to the rear door handle. When we got to the car, I stretched to get the door for Remi and our fingers touched. She withdrew hers immediately, but I was near enough to smell her fragrance and my body tightened in response. She should smell like salt, sand, or sweat. Instead she smelled like paradise and pleasure. I leaned with my arms folded on the top of the door while she got Misty situated. Bending as she was, her blue jean cutoffs road up a little revealing smooth as silk skin and curves that would have made Aphrodite jealous. I sucked in a breath, flashing through our one night together, so long ago, me clutching those supple thighs of hers as she slid along my length, soft moans escaping her lips, both of us vibrating with urgency...

  “Levi?”

  “Huh?”

  “I need to close the door.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I shuffled out of the way, and she shut it firmly. I followed her to get her door.

  “Go ahead and hop in. I’m good.” Her voice was shaky. Was I making her nervous?

  I noticed that she didn’t pause to unlock the door.

  Should I say something to her? It’s really not my place...

  But I couldn’t seem to help myself. “Do you guys still keep your doors unlocked at night? Not lock your car doors?”

  She had turned to back down the driveway, her hand behind my headrest as she twisted her body. She stopped and looked at me. “Yeah.”

  I cleared my throat. I didn’t want to seem bossy. And I didn’t want to scare her, but I felt like something needed to be said.

  “You might not...want to do that. At least while this crazy fan is around.”

  She breathed in and out evenly, measuring my words. “You’re right. I’ll try to do better.”

  We never used to have a problem talking to each other. We’d talk about everything or nothing. But now, her being uncomfortable was throwing me off. I was overthinking everything I said, or not saying anything at all to assure I didn’t f-up. At an intersection, I watched her from the corners of my eyes. She was sitting on the edge of her seat opposite me, as distant as possible, her fist bouncing rapidly in the area under her nose, covering her mouth.

  I need to break through all the barricades she’s erecting. If I can get through to her, if she lets me in a little, I can fix this. I know I can. All the feelings she had for me couldn’t be gone.

  Or could they? So much time has passed. She loved another man. Created a child with him. That I didn’t want to think about. And she lost him, too, like she lost me. It’s no wonder she’s pushing me away.

  I stared at my window listlessly.

  She touched my knee and I jumped, turning to gape at her. “Levi. Are you all right? You’re quiet. Is something upsetting you?”

  “Nah. I’m good.” I bounced my hand on my knee, averting my gaze from her keen eyes and peering out the window again. I noticed a building that used to be a souvenir shop had been rehabbed and painted bright red, with a red-and-white-striped awning. I read the sign on the door. “Oh, that’s the place you were talking about?”

  She glanced in that direction and nodded. I shifted, opening myself to her more. I wasn’t really looking at the street when I commented, “Have a lot of the businesses changed ownership?” ...in the eight years that I’ve been gone?

  “No. Not really. The old standbys are still there.” She bent to search through the windshield and drove more slowly. “Last Chance Realty, the library, the Gazette, Cockleshells and Silverbells... The new businesses have either popped up in long-abandoned buildings, or have been squeezed in places you wouldn’t think you could get a business into. Like that one,” she said suddenly, pointing to a T-shirt shop.

  I squinted. “What used to be in that spot?”

  “Nothing. Remember? It was this little green area with a fountain...”

  “Yeah. The fountain had a giant clam shell in it.” I could see it in my mind’s eye. “Wyatt got his senior pictures taken there.”

  “I did too. Everybody did. Where did you get yours taken?” She seemed to realize her mistake the instant the words left her mouth.

  “Nobody wanted pictures of me.” I could still hear my dad shouting when he saw the brochure sticking out of my backpack.

  “Senior pictures? Now you want senior pictures? Well la-de-fucking-da.” He pinched my face. “You think you’re some kind of pretty boy, Levi? Nobody wants any pictures of you, son. You’re butt-ugly. And even if you weren’t, no one would care enough to put any picture of you in a frame, that’s for damn sure.”

  She put her hand on my knee. “I’m sorry, Levi. That was stupid of me.”

  “Don’t put yourself down,” I said with an edge. I hated to hear people degrade somebody or talk poorly about themselves. The streetlights painted her in light and dark alternately.

  “Are...” She cleared her throat. “Are you seeing your dad while you’re home?”

  “Nope. He made it clear that he was not interested in seeing me.” I leaned against my door and went back to staring out my window, my elbow on the armrest, and I rested my lips on the knuckles of my fist, similar to what she had been doing earlier.

  We rode in silence for a while. When I spoke again, she jumped.

  “I actually sent him some money once. I felt like it was wrong for me to have everything I need and for him to still live in...squalor. I wasn’t trying to show him up. I just thought he might want a nice house, a nice car. The ability to quit his job on the docks.” I tapped a finger on the glove box. “And you know what he did?”

  I looked at her and she shook her head fearfully.

  “The one and only time my dad left this island—” I swallowed, surprised by the bile that still rose in my throat whenever I thought of him, “—was to get on a plane—using my money, of course—buy a ticket to one of my concerts—again using my money—get backstage, and scream at me. He threw the rest of the money I had sent him everywhere—it floated down like freaking rain—and spewed that hateful litany that he always gave me.” I rubbed at the hem of my shorts then laughed.

  Her eyes grew even wider. She thought I was losing it. Maybe I was.

  “But this time he made the mistake of saying it in front of the Blackstone brothers. Dak and Phoenix first ripped into him and defended me, then took hold of his pants,” I mimed the action, “and hurled him out on his ass. Dak jumped Ted Cummings—he’s part of our security team—when he tried to step in and help. Told him, ‘Back off. I’m tossing this mother fucker out myself.’” I chuckled. She still looked horrified. “I thought my dad had a foul mouth. He’s got nothing on Dakota Blackstone.”

  She finally saw the humor in the situation and chuckled briefly then patted my leg. “I’m sorry, Levi. You don’t deserve that.”

  “Ahh,” I said, staring through the window again, “I don’t let it bother me.” It was a lie, but a well-rehearsed lie.

  Remi didn’t say anything. Probably didn’t know what to say. After another block or two, a sweet, sleepy voice came from the backseat.

  “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder where you are...”

  I leaned in and lowered my voice. “Oh, shit, Remi. I forgot she was there.”

  She took my hand and squeezed it. “It’s no big deal. Her Uncle Wyatt could give Dakota a run for his money. And even I got busted today and had to put money in the swear jar.”

  “Who busted you?”

  Her lips danced. “My nephews.”

  I noticed Misty had stopped and checked behind me. Her little angel mouth was open and soft snores were coming out. “Aww. She’s asleep.”

  “I thought she might be. That’s what I sing to her to put her to sleep.”

  “She’s really great, Remi.”

  She dipped her chin. “Thank you.”

  “You’re really great too.” I brought her hand to my lips. “Still the prettiest girl on Last Chance Beach.”

  She forced a laugh. “After swimming in the ocean and not fixing my hair? I don’t think so.”

  “But you are,” I insisted.

  Poor timing had us pulling up to the entrance to The Sands. She rolled down her window.

  “Ahh.” The security guard tipped his hat. “Have a nice evening, Mrs. Boyd.”

  “Thank you, Steve.”

  I frowned. “Sure. They let you in.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “They better. I sign their checks.”

  “Do you really?”

  “No. But they are under my supervision.” She glided along the circular drive and came to a stop at the doors. “Here we are,” she said lightly, but her voice was pitched too high.

  “If Misty weren’t with you, I’d have invited you in for a drink.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t look at me.

  “Would you have come?”

  She exhaled. “Levi...”

  “Would you have, Remi?”

  She licked her lips. “Probably not. You know I love you, but...I’m not ready to go there.”

  “Because of Jay?”

  She nodded rapidly but seemed unable to speak.

  I lowered my voice. “Because of me?”

  Tears slowly tracked down her cheeks. “I...I have to be able to trust someone. I’m not strong enough for...”

  I put a finger under her chin and lifted her face. “You can trust me.”

  She shook her head. “I just can’t. I couldn’t bear losing you again.”

  “You won’t lose me.”

  Her gaze flitted around the car like she was a caged animal. “I mean, I knew you had to leave the last time, but I thought I’d at least hear from you. I know we hadn’t made any commitment to each other, but, I thought... Maybe I was deluding myself.”

  “I can’t speak for you, but I made a commitment that night. A commitment I intend to stick to.”

  “But...how do I know that what you’re saying is real? You said you loved me, then disappeared for eight years without a word. I’ve forgiven you for that. We all make mistakes. But when it comes to you...I can’t afford to make the same mistake again. It costs me too much.”

  I exhaled and closed my eyes. “Then I guess I’ll have to prove it to you.” I looked up. “But until then...” I leaned forward and took her lips softly but with command. She needed to know that she was still mine. Nothing could change that.

  At first, it felt like she responded. Then I could feel her shaking. When I pulled away, we both glanced down at her trembling hand.

  I had a long way to go.

  I got out, spun, and bent to peer in through the half-open window. “Goodnight.”

  Her face was pained, and apparently she couldn’t even say the word goodnight. With a sinking heart, I whirled and entered the building.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Remi

  The sunrise the next morning was incredible, and I took it as a good omen, although most sunrises and sunsets on Last Chance Beach were remarkable. When I crossed The Sands parking lot, I noticed a van from the Beach Rose floral shop was pulled in front of the door.

  Somebody’s getting flowers.

  The idea that someone was getting a pleasant surprise put a little more pep in my step. My staff was wonderful and deserved to be spoiled. I pressed the revolving door and moved forward. I could see the delivery man at the counter. He turned and that opened my view enough to see Ashley pointing at me.

  “There she is.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  Did someone order flowers for a room where the guest had already checked out and left?

  “Could you sign, miss?”

  “Of course.”

  He handed me a tablet and I signed on the screen. I always had to laugh at my signature on those things because it looked like gobbledygook. He handed me an enormous arrangement which someone had created with a sea theme. White lilies and roses were gathered with blue hydrangeas in a vase filled with both water and seashells.

  “Well, isn’t this lovely.”

  “Have a nice day now.”

  “Oh. You too.”

  Ashley was grinning ear-to-ear.

  I gave her a smile back. “You can sign for these yourself, you know. You don’t need management.”

  “You do if they’re for management.”

  “What do you mean? It doesn’t matter who it’s for, you still can sign for them.”

  “Re-mi. They’re for you.”

  “What?”

  “They’re for you, silly. Read the card.”

  I slipped the card out of its envelope and inhaled.

  “Well, who’s it from?”

  I was trying to read the message. “Huh? Oh, Levi,” I mumbled.

 

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