Caught in the Current (Pacific Shores Book 2) (6 page)

Was the reason she’d had so few groceries not because she didn’t need more, but because she couldn’t afford to buy more? His glance dipped toward her injury, and he remembered her putting him off when he’d offered to take her to the pharmacy, earlier. He’d bet dollars to doughnuts she didn’t plan on picking up her prescription.

He swallowed, hating to think of her in that situation, but knowing he wasn’t in a place to press for more details at the moment. He upped the price he’d planned to pay her by five dollars an hour and got back to the conversation. “Good, so, ah…” He assessed his hands one more time and then, satisfied they were indeed paint-free, looked up at her. “Would you mind coming out tonight to look them over? If you think you could have them done by the end of July, we could start renting them out August first.”

“I’ll have to check with Taysia on a couple of things, but I think it should be doable.”

“So you’ll come?” He held his breath.

“As long as you’re sure your mom won’t mind?” She lifted her checkbook. “I do have to pay for the pickles.”

“I’m sure it was just an oversight on Mom’s part. I know she won’t care. She’s got a lot weighing on her with Dad and all.”

“Alright, if you’re sure.” Her eyes suddenly widened, and she glanced down the length of herself. “Do I have time to change?”

“Sure. How about if I clean up here for you while you do that?”

“Oh, thank you.” She waved a hand toward the paint tray and roller. “The head on the roller is on its last legs anyhow, and I promised myself I’d throw it away after this time, so just chuck it and the plastic liner into the Dumpster out back. You can just leave the handle, brush, paint can, tarp, and paper towels in a stack. Mr. Meyer will be by first thing to make sure I got this done, and he will pick those up then.”

“Got it.”

As he set to cleaning up for her, he thanked the Lord it had been easier to talk her into taking the job than he’d anticipated. Now he needed to call Justus at Deschutes Rejuvenation and let him know he wouldn’t be back. At least for the foreseeable future.

Chapter 5

With her hand encased in one of the tight rubber gloves they’d given her at the hospital, Marie hurried through her shower and into a pair of jeans, her favorite blue peasant blouse, and a pair of cubic zirconium–studded flip-flops. She worked some mousse into her hair and hoped her curls wouldn’t frizz too much because she didn’t have time to baby them with the hair dryer. After a quick application of light makeup, she grabbed one of Alyssa’s little jackets from her room and headed down the hallway to the living room.

Reece had made himself right at home. He was hugging one of the denim pillows and lying on his stomach on the floor next to Alyssa, laughing at the antics of Daffy Duck. He’d hung his Stetson on the same hook he’d used earlier that afternoon, she noted. She also noted the rugged day’s worth of beard shading his jaw.

She swallowed and fiddled with the zipper on Alyssa’s jacket. “Alright, you two. I’m ready.”

Reece was still laughing when he turned on his side, but when he saw her, his laughter died away. He swallowed and tucked part of his lower lip between his teeth as he scanned her quickly. It wasn’t the hungry, predatory look she’d received from so many men, but an assessment of such awe that it stole the moisture from her mouth.

And then just as quickly as it was there, it was gone, and he leapt to his feet and ruffled Alyssa’s already mussed hair. “Ready to go ride in my big blue truck, Superwoman?”

“Yes!” Alyssa scrambled to the old TV and pushed the off button and then pressed stop on the DVD player. “Ready!”

Marie smoothed a hand of uncertainty down the side of her jeans. “Pillows.”

“Pillows!” Curls bobbed as her daughter snatched up the denim cushions and chucked them at the couch. One tumbled off and she dashed after it, then crammed it into one corner with the command for it to “stay.”

Reece chuckled and grabbed his Stetson, settling it on his head, and they headed out the door. But instead of going straight to Thrift and Save, he pulled into the parking lot of the pharmacy.

She fisted her hands and tried not to look as sick as she felt. The check for the groceries had taken her account down to under twenty dollars, she still had to pay for the pickles, and payday wasn’t for another week. She could just deal with the pain in her finger, and the chances of getting an infection in the cut after all the antibacterial treatments they’d done at the hospital were next to nil, so she wasn’t too worried about needing the antibiotics they’d prescribed. So she hadn’t planned on paying for the pills. But she couldn’t just out and tell Reece she couldn’t afford her prescriptions, could she?

Beside her Reece leaned forward and dug into his back pocket.

She glanced over at him.

He lifted a hundred-dollar bill up between his first and second fingers and swung his chin toward the entrance. “Alyssa and I will hang out in the truck while you run in and grab your prescriptions.”

She angled him a stern look. “I can’t let you do that.” She’d never even let Dan pay for anything for her or Alyssa. Not that he’d ever offered, now that she thought about it.

He matched her stern expression, even copying the angle of her head. “Consider it my first order as your new boss. I can’t have my newest employee getting sick on the job. Look at it as an advance. I’ll take it out of your first check.” He winked and stretched the bill closer to her.

She glanced down and studied his hand, brown and broad with long, blunt fingers. Her focus honed in on the number in the corner of the bill.

He was offering to help her. She couldn’t remember the last time someone other than Kylen or Taysia had offered to help her. She was the all-sufficient single mother who worked full-time and then some to provide for her little girl. And God had blessed her with a great boss and odd jobs where she could keep Alyssa with her.

But the thought of simply letting that self-sufficiency go, even for just a little bit, was spring sunshine after a long gray winter. It would definitely not be hard to let a man like this take care of her. But…there were so many complications. Not the least of which was that Reece deserved a woman who was more suitable for him.

So…she would compromise. She’d accept his help, but only because it was an advance against a paycheck. This was business. Slowly, she reached out and slipped the money from between his fingers, being careful not to touch him. “Just a loan, then.” She glanced up to meet his perusal once more. “And thank you.”

“Of course.” He nodded, but there was a hint of something more in his green eyes flecked with gold. A hint of something oh so enticing.

She fled before she slipped up and revealed any of the crazy, mixed-up jumble of emotions tumbling through her. The pharmacy had her prescriptions all ready, and it only took her a couple minutes to get back to the truck. She tried to hand him the change.

He shook his head. “It will be easier to deduct a round number from your check, so just keep the change, for now, please.” Reece reached into a little cooler behind his seat and handed her an unopened water bottle as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Thanks.” She tucked the bills and change into her wallet, poured the prescribed dosage of both painkiller and antibiotics into her palm, and swallowed them down, unable to deny that having her finger stop throbbing, even for a little bit, would be a relief.

After the promised stop at the Thrift and Save, where Reece even kept his word and let her pay for the pickles, Marie found herself swallowing a lump of uneasiness as he pulled to a stop in the Serenity Shores driveway fifteen minutes out of town.

She’d only been here a few times when she and Reece had dated. She’d always been a bit intimidated by the large home, even though she’d absolutely loved the eclectic décor. But it was Mrs. Cahill who’d really made her nervous. She’d never gotten the impression the woman was too pleased Reece was dating her—and with good reason, she supposed. It was no less than she deserved, right? Many of the church ladies gave her the feeling she’d never quite match up. But that was only as it should be, considering the type of person she’d been. She tried to remind herself the only thing that mattered was that Jesus loved and accepted her just the way she was, rotten past and all. And His love was all she needed.

Still, the fact that Mrs. Cahill had handed invitations to several around her in the church foyer, while studiously avoiding her gaze, had actually hurt a little. Most of the time she was able to steer clear of Reece’s mom at church, since they attended different services, but here at the bed-and-breakfast…they were bound to meet. And chances were high Mrs. Cahill was going to be far from pleased to find her crashing this party.

She swallowed. “Reece. I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”

He reached over and settled one hand on her shoulder. “I would really like for you to stay. But if you want, I can try to find someone to take you home. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

The weight of his hand was somehow comforting. There were people who accepted her despite her mistakes from the past. She was being overanxious. There was no need for someone to go out of their way to take her home. She took a breath. She could do this. Reece wanted her here. Kylen and Taysia would be here, she hoped. And Dan would certainly be here. He never passed up the opportunity for free food, and he’d told her he’d been invited.

“Mommy, are we at the party?”

Marie glanced at Reece and hoped he could see the appreciation in her eyes. She mouthed, “Thank you,” before responding to Alyssa. “Yes, baby.” She forced herself to undo her seat belt and climb down from the truck.

As she helped Alyssa down from her booster seat in the back, she noticed there were already several other cars parked in the drive and along the street. She recognized Kylen’s red Mustang and eased out a breath of relief. So Taysia would be here to keep her company.

Reece appeared at her side, carrying the paper bag with the pickle jars in it.

Marie glanced from Alyssa to the clear, blue, still-sunny skies. “Is it okay if I just leave Alyssa’s coat out here? I might need to get the keys from you to come get it later if it cools off too much.”

“Of course. No problem.” He smiled and then turned to Alyssa and waggled his eyebrows. “You ready for some food? My mom makes a pretty mean chocolate cake! And there will be carrot cake too.”

Alyssa wrinkled her nose as she scrambled down from the truck. “Carrot cake? Yuck! I want chocate!” Suddenly she froze in her tracks, and a huge frown creased her pudgy little brow. “Mommy, do I like mean chocate?”

Marie couldn’t help a chuckle, and Reece joined her. She rested her hand in the middle of Alyssa’s back, nudging her forward. “A mean chocolate cake is just one that’s really yummy is all.”

“Oh!” The little girl gasped with delight. “A dog!”

Loping toward them across the lawn was a beautiful golden retriever.

Marie shook her head at the rapidity with which her daughter could change the subject.

“That’s Tawny. Hey, Tawny, girl.” Reece reached down and ruffled a silky ear. “Do you want to pet her?”

Alyssa fisted her little hands together uncertainly. “Does it bite?”

“No. Tawny’s a very nice dog.”

As if to prove his point, Tawny got right into Alyssa’s face and tried to lick her.

Alyssa squealed and darted to Marie, clambering up into her arms, where she looked down to study the panting dog from a safe distance.

“Alyssa, honey, it’s okay. Dogs do that. She’s just trying to give you a doggy kiss.” She glanced at Reece. “Sorry. She hasn’t been around dogs before.”

Reece shrugged and gave her a subtle wink, then bent and patted Tawny’s head as he met Alyssa’s gaze. “It’s okay. Tawny will be here all night, and I bet she’ll have you”—he reached over and pinched one of Alyssa’s cheeks, eliciting a giggle—“wrapped around her wagging tail by the time the night is through. Come on, let’s get inside.”

Alyssa squirmed as they started to walk. “But I want to pet the doggy now!”

Reece grinned at Marie. “I remember you always faced your fears head-on, too.”

Her stomach churned a little at the reminder of the time he and some of the guys from school had talked her into jumping off one of the nearby cliffs into the ocean. She’d done it once, just to prove she could, but she’d never gone back and done it again. She offered him a weak nod.

He held the bag of pickles toward her and gestured to Alyssa. “Trade me?”

“Sure.” She accepted the bag and handed Alyssa off to him.

Reece squatted in front of Tawny and settled Alyssa onto one leg. “Sit, girl.”

The dog obeyed, her tongue lolling and her huge brown eyes fixed solely on Reece.

“Watch me now,” he said to Alyssa as he slid a hand over Tawny’s head and stroked one ear. “See? She’s really nice.”

Alyssa still had her little hands curled up under her chin in uncertainty.

Marie wanted to reassure her, but stopped herself. Reece was doing a fantastic job of encouraging her but not pushing her too hard. And it would do Alyssa some good to get adult input from someone besides her this time. Not to mention how wonderful it was to watch the two of them together.

Reece studied Alyssa’s clenched fists for a moment, then asked her, “Are you afraid to touch her?”

Alyssa hesitated, but then nodded.

“Why?”

“She might bite me!”

Reece continued to pet the dog, who had now turned her studious expression toward Alyssa but was sitting very patiently and quietly as if she understood the whole scenario. “Do you trust me?”

Alyssa shrugged.

Marie bit back a grin even as she saw Reece do the same.

“Well…” Reece slanted Marie a quick wink before focusing on Alyssa once more. “Do you think I would lie to you?”

“Lying’s wrong.” Alyssa gave a definitive dip of her head, but she didn’t take her eyes off Tawny.

Reece nodded. “Yes, it is. And I would never lie to you. Tawny might lick you, but she would never bite you.”

“Lick me!?” Alyssa leaned back hesitantly. “Why would she lick me?”