Beauty and the Beach (30 page)

A dog barked nearby, then stopped. Dylan listened for a moment, then started forward again. Thankfully, the dog was fenced, or it would’ve come after them by now. Goosebumps rose on his arms as he considered the disaster that could have been. Any dog belonging to the game warden would be extremely dangerous.

Moments later they rounded trees and bushes to peer down a gravel driveway. “He’s not here,” whispered Dylan. “The truck’s gone and the house is dark.”

Headlights flashed in the distance as a car drove toward them, and they dove back into the trees, held their breath, and waited.

The car went by, and Dylan’s sigh was heartfelt. Unreasonable as it was, he was convinced that if He were around, He would find them no matter where they hid.

Sneaking out to the front of the driveway they stood under the hanging sign and Dylan read the name. Baron. He shivered, which made him angry and, lips tightening, he hurried forward.

Lifting the hammer, he wedged the claw onto one of the house numbers attached to the wooden post. He pulled and it popped off easier than he’d thought it would. He made quick work of the other three numbers and Isaac and Seth gathered the fallen pieces of metal and threw them into the bushes.

Perfect.

“We did it,” breathed Seth.

Isaac grinned. “Yeah! We finally showed him!”

Exhilarated, his heart pounding in his chest, Dylan smiled, nodded, and considered kicking over the large, carved, wooden-bear statue beside the mailbox. He didn’t quite dare.

Maybe next time.

Another car advanced down the long road and the light caught them.

“It’s Him!” Isaac choked. “It’s the game warden!”

Even though there was no way Isaac could be certain, Dylan completely believed him. Explosive fear charged through his gut. “Run!” he said to his friends. “If he catches us, we’re dead! Run!”

~ ~ ~

“Hi, Jess. You aren’t going to believe where I am.” Honey Stevens adjusted her cell phone between ear and shoulder so she could place her keys in a luggage pocket.

“Redding, California?”

“Smart Aleck,” said Honey as she straightened. “That’s not what I meant. And technically I’m outside of Redding, sort of in the country, or maybe in the woods would be more accurate. But anyway, this is so weird. The family who I’m trying to buy property from wants me to stay with them and they aren’t here yet. They wanted me to let myself in, so I’m in their huge, log cabin home alone, and it’s creepy.”

“Creepy how?”

Honey let out a breath. Talking to her friend was already relaxing her. “Well, it was completely dark when I first got here. I couldn’t find any house numbers, so I wouldn’t have even been sure I was at the right place, except there’s a sign that says Baron, a carved bear by the mailbox, and the key was under the mat as instructed.”

“And?”

Honey walked over to the mantle and took down a family picture with ten or so people posing in a park. She noticed a bottle of woodworking glue hidden behind it. “And I’m used to going through people’s homes, but this is different. It feels like I’m a burglar or something.”

“Oh, so you’re the creepy one.” Jessica chuckled. “Besides, you like it and you know it. You’re a natural born snoop. Do I need to remind you of my diary?”

Honey groaned. “Give it up already. It was twenty years ago! I was nine! It was unlocked and the temptation was unbearable.” The people in the photo were a good-looking bunch. Mostly adults, and a couple of babies, the guys were dark-haired, dark-eyed, big and muscular. One had a full beard and was so big he looked like a lumberjack or something. They took after the dad who sat in the middle next to a pretty blonde wife. The girls, luckily, looked like mom. “Get over it, already.”

“The old ‘I was only nine’ excuse, again, huh,” said Jessica. “Tell me, what are you doing right now? Right this minute? Are you snooping?”

Honey set the picture back on the mantle and glanced at a few others. Fishing, hunting, camping. This family was very outdoorsy. “I’m hanging up on you.”

Jessica laughed. “I knew it. I’m just saying, your overwhelming curiosity is going to get you into trouble one of these days.”

“Is your hubby there? Can he hear you? Because if you’ve told him that story about the diary, or anything else for that matter, you’re dead. Don’t forget, I have all the dirt on you, too. Does college dorm ring a bell? Victor Wilson? One in the morning? You’re not the only one with stories to tell.”

Jessica laughed again. “Okay, okay, truce.”

Honey grinned. “How’s Baby Bop doing?”

“She’s good. A handful. She misses you. She’s been asking for her Bunny. You need to come out and see her.”

A wistful feeling enveloped Honey as she thought of the chubby blonde baby. She’d like one of her own, and at twenty-nine, was anxious to start a family. “The class I’m taking lasts three weeks. I’ll come see you as soon as I’m back in Napa.”

“So now for the big question,” said Jessica. “How does Christian feel about being separated from you for that long?”

Honey blew out a breath and sank down on the leather sofa. She ran a hand across the smooth seat and thought about her fiancé. “How does he feel?” Honey couldn’t help but grimace as she thought about the fight they’d had before she left. “I’ve actually been trying not to think about it. The short answer is, he didn’t want me to leave, but in the end it wasn’t like I had a choice. Nick was determined to send me, even though Michelle was begging for the opportunity. With the brokerage class thrown in, it seemed like too good an opportunity for me to pass up.”

“You needed this break from Christian, anyway. It’ll give you a chance to think things through, right?”

Think things through. Nice. Weren’t engaged couples supposed to be excited? Joyful? Eager? But not them. They needed to think things through. It was depressing.

“Sure,” said Honey. “But not right now. Right now it’s late, I’m starving, and apparently the clients want me to make myself at home, so I’m going to take them at their word. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Okay. Take care. Call me if things get weirder. Or if you find any diaries or anything.”

“I’m hanging up.”

If you want to read more, go to
www.DianeDarcy.com
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Excerpt: Pride and Precipitation

Chick Flick Clique Romantic Comedy #1

Breezy Jones is crazy about the weather, rain or shine, which makes her job as the local television station’s meteorologist perfect. She’s even hoping the new buyers of her Aspen Grove station will make some positive changes.

That’s before she meets the attractive new general manager, Noah Drake, who is determined to repackage everything—including Breezy’s down-home delivery and casual, girl-next-door appearance that seems too Pollyanna for him. He replaces her with a high-powered diva weathercaster and makes Breezy her off-screen assistant.

With a flood of angry emails from the community, plummeting ratings, and incessant demands from the diva, it doesn’t take long for Noah to see which way the wind is blowing.

Will the station survive the competitive clash between pride and precipitation?

More importantly, can their blossoming attraction survive?

CHAPTER ONE

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. (John Ruskin)

“MOM, DAD, I HAVE SOMETHING important to tell you.” Breezy Jones sucked in a deep breath as she stood on her higher-than-comfortable heels and straightened her skirt. She had to act casual or she couldn’t pull this off.

On Breezy’s left, her mother looked up from loading the dishwasher and, at the far end of the breakfast nook table, her father lowered his newspaper. He had an iPad, but would doubtless cling to his daily print newspaper right up until the day they stopped delivering, probably because it looked silly to hide behind an iPad.

“Have a seat, Mom.” Breezy bit the inside of her lip. “You’ll need it.”

Her mother circled the counter and sat next to her father, and both watched Breezy expectantly. They made such an adorable pair. Her big, strong, silver-haired, handsome father and her petite, cute-as-a-button, flibbertigibbet blonde mother. Apparently opposites did attract.

“I don’t know how to say this other than to just say it.” Breezy sighed dramatically, and then lowered the April Fool’s boom. “I got fired from the station.”

Other than her mother’s ferocious gasp as she placed her hand to her heart, the kitchen was silent. Her father tipped his head and studied her.

It only took a moment for her mother to recover her voice and jump up from the table. With a worried look, she said, “Breanne, you cannot have been fired. Everyone loves you at the station. Your ratings are high. Your forecasts are accurate. What on earth would they fire you for? This has got to be a horrible misunderstanding.” She looked over at her husband, who set the newspaper on his lap. “Your father will go to the station with you and straighten this out. Tell her you will, Arthur.”

Before her father could say anything, her mother whirled back around. “This is awful. You’ll be ruined. Your career could be over before it’s even begun.”

Her father adjusted his glasses, smiled gently, and drew in a deep breath. “It’s April Fool’s Day, Emily.” He winked at Breezy, who couldn’t resist smiling back.

Her mother looked at her husband, then at Breezy. She narrowed her eyes. “I do not appreciate this at all, Breanne Jones.”

Breezy laughed as her smiling father ducked behind the newspaper again. “It is April Fool’s Day, after all, Mom, and I figured you must have already gotten a call from Kendra saying her house had been struck by a hurricane or something.”

“No. Your sister has not called to give me any heart attacks today.”

“The day’s still young,” Dad said, newspaper still in front of his face.

“I’m sure I’ve aged ten years from the shock.” Shaking her finger at her daughter, Breezy’s mother said, “Don’t do that to me, Breezy. I mean it. My heart can’t take it.”

“Okay. I won’t do it again.” Breezy wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “I almost told you I was pregnant, but I didn’t think you would find that very funny.”

“I didn’t think this was funny.” Her mother frowned. “And you’re not even dating anyone. Heaven knows I wish you were, and you know how much I want grandchildren, but I’m glad you know you’ve got to have a husband first.”

Breezy squeezed her mother’s shoulders and stepped over to the table, moving the bowl of strawberries to the counter. “That’s the general idea.”

Her mother touched her arm. “After you’re married, Dear. Then you can announce you’re pregnant.”

“Call us from the honeymoon suite to announce it, Breezy.” Dad’s voice floated over the weather section. “That would thrill your mother.”

“The thought of a marriage would thrill me. When are you going to start dating again, Breezy? You and Kendra are twenty-eight and thirty. Your eggs are probably drying up as we speak. Can’t you hear your biological clock ticking? Because I can.”

“The only thing Breezy hears is the weather.”

Now that was true. And Dad should know. They were kindred spirits.

“Look who’s talking,” Mom said. “Weatherman for thirty years.”

“And retired just in time to pass the mantle on to my daughter.” Dad looked over the paper again, fondness in his eyes. “How are things going at the station?”

“Wonderful.” Breezy laughed. “Though there are a few changes I’d like to make. Shake things up a bit.”

Dad laughed. “Good luck with that bunch in management.”

“Change can be hard.” Her mother put the strawberries into a container, snapped on the lid, and placed it in the fridge.

“Change can be good, too.” Dad shrugged. “But, like I always say, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“Wait a minute. I just had a wonderful idea.” Her mother’s face lit up with excitement.

Oh, no. Not again. Her mother’s wonderful ideas usually involved men and matchmaking.

“I’m going to invite a man over to dinner next Sunday.”

Breezy groaned. “Mom, no dates.” Though she wasn’t opposed to dating, per se, she did object to the men her mother lined her up with.

“But now you’re out of graduate school, you have time to date again. I’m going to invite over two men. And I’ll get your sister over here, too. You can both come early and I’ll give you lessons in how to flirt. I’m tired of waiting around for you late bloomers. Then when I line you up for blind dates, you’ll get a second date.”

“No date! But I could totally ace Eyelash Batting 101.”

“Mock me all you want. Your father loves it when I bat my eyelashes.”

Her father lowered his paper and smiled his gentle smile again. “It’s true. I do.”

Her mother sighed. “Speaking of batting your eyelashes, I hear Andrew’s back in town for a visit.”

Andrew North? “That’s really nice, Mom. Thanks for letting me know the man who dumped me two years ago is back in the vicinity.”