Sweet Talkin' Scoundrel (12 page)

Chapter 20

Kinley

The sun was
lower in the sky, a reminder that my day off was coming to an end. I walked out onto the back stoop and joined Dax. The house he lived in was cramped and shabby, but it had a breathtaking view of the ocean.

I sat on the step below him and leaned back against him.

He wrapped his arms around me. “I love this time in the afternoon when the sun throws that light on the white caps. Makes the sea foam look like snow.”

“You do have an incredible view.”

“You could have it too.”

“Your persistence is admirable, but you hardly know me. What if I move in and you can’t stand my habits? Besides, my nervous nose twitch—”

“Which I already love so count that off the list.”

“You are weird.” I wriggled out from his arms and moved to sit next to him on the step. “I have this terrible habit of squeezing the toothpaste tube from the top. I fluff my pillow a dozen times before I sleep. And I hum television theme songs while I’m washing dishes.”

“Shit, you’re right. Forget it. No way I can fall for a woman with those kinds of habits. Except wait. I already have.” He hopped up. “Let’s walk on the beach and you can tell me the rest of the list. Although, I’ve got to tell you, you lost me at the toothpaste issue.”

We hiked through the piles of dry sand to the wet packed ground running along the shore. King’s Beach was a primitive, unexplored section of coast. I’d been unimpressed by it when I’d first arrived, but more and more, I’d come to appreciate its simple, undisturbed beauty. The strip of sand running in front of the houses was littered with the debris of nature, broken driftwood, clumps of dried seaweed and broken rocks. There was no easy public access, which left the stretch of beach mostly undisturbed.

Our footprints disappeared like ghost steps as the water washed them away. We headed toward an outcropping of slate black rocks.

“Do you surf out here?”

“No, too many rocks and the waves don’t break right out here. There’s a place up the coast I drive to most mornings. I meet up with a few other regulars. We sit and bullshit while we’re waiting for the perfect wave, which comes less often than you might expect.”

“I tried surfing once when I was in South Africa. Complete disaster. Maybe you could teach me someday.”

He took hold of my hand. “I could do that.”

“Dax, I know we don’t get to see each other more than once or twice a week, but let’s just keep things like this for now. Maybe eventually, I can let Katherine know—”

“You can’t.” He stopped walking and tugged me around to face him. He paused to push a strand of hair off my face. “You can’t tell her,” he repeated in a calmer tone.

“Surely, she can’t hate you that much. Besides, it’s none of her business who I see as long as I’m doing my job.”

Dax shook his head and stared out at the water as if he was trying to gather the right words. His Adam’s apple moved with a hard swallow before he faced me again. “If you tell her we’re seeing each other, you’ll lose your job.”

I peered up at him, not sure how to respond. I knew Katherine was the type of person who liked to keep control, but this seemed too far of a reach even for her. “It’s my personal life.”

“You aren’t just on that island to teach Becky. Katherine is looking for a wife for Marcus.”

I hadn’t meant to laugh but it shot out before I could stop it with my hand. “A wife? I’ve only known the man a short time, but I’m fairly certain he’s not really the marrying type. If my arm accidentally brushes his sleeve, he just about jumps out of his skin. I’m pretty sure I’m off the list of potential brides.”

Daylight was fading, and it was time for us to head back. We turned and started walking toward to the house.

“I kind of figured you wouldn’t believe me. It has to do with the inheritance. It’s complicated.”

I stopped abruptly. “Well, try me. I’m not that thick.”

“I know you’re not thick. In fact, I’m less worried now about you being on that island and falling prey to their schemes because I know you’re too smart to be pulled in. Just believe me when I tell you that you shouldn’t tell Katherine about us.” He reached for my hands and pulled me to him. “Like you said, let’s keep things the way they are for now. Becky loves you. I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time. I would never want to get in the way of that. But know this, Kinley, I want you in my life. If you want me in yours, then I’ll be waiting.” He took hold of my face and kissed me.

Chapter 21

Kinley

Becky lifted her
hand and held out her palm. The tiny shell rolled back and forth on it. “Ta da, first whole one of the morning.” We’d been given the rare permission to hike to the beach and look for shells. I’d walked a few of the island’s edges on my own, but this was the first time Becky was allowed to join me. I’d convinced Katherine it was a hands-on science field trip. She just couldn’t find a reason to stop it. Although she gave it a good try.

Becky dropped the shell in the bucket. “James says it’s because of the rocky shoreline. There is no smooth, easy path off this lump of sand.” She lifted her head and glanced around as if there were eyes and ears in the surrounding trees. “But I do know of a spot where there is a break in the rocks,” she whispered. “I found it when I was exploring for artifacts. In fact, I think that the tribe that once lived here long ago cleared the rocks to leave a big enough space for their canoe. That’s what they used to fish and travel to other islands. Canoes made from cedar.”

“My gosh, Becky, I’m the student today. What a fascinating conclusion you came to all on your own. That is deductive reasoning, and it’s considered a higher level thinking skill. Well done, you.”

“Well, I did have a little help from James.” She lifted her fingers to show just how little. It was always hard to keep my focus when she brought up James. Sometimes, because of the name and strained connection, it still felt as if she was talking about some stranger, a member of the family who I’d never met.

“So James knows about the canoe path?”

Becky looked quickly around. “Shh, my mother can never know I wandered that far.”

“Unless she has some superhero hearing, I don’t think your mom can hear us out here.”

“You’d be surprised,” she countered. “I’ve been all the way at my bedroom door, muttering about the gross broccoli she forced me to eat. She heard me all the way from the dining room.”

I laughed as I pushed up to my feet. I dusted the sand off my pants and looked around. “The tribes from this area used cedar for canoes but I don’t see any cedar trees.”

Becky adjusted the cap she was wearing to make sure her nose didn’t get sunburned. Her mother had given her a stern warning not to get burned. We’d spent a good half hour slathering her up with suntan lotion only to discover that it stung her eyes too much to wear. The hat was her only real protection.

“Dad said there used to be a whole bunch of cedar trees on Wildthorne, but the people who built the manor had them chopped down to make room for those thorny monsters lining all the paths.”

“You don’t like the silk-floss trees?”

“They’re all right when they’re blooming, but I can’t count how many balls I’ve popped on those things. Kick balls, soccer balls, beach balls, they’ve all come to an untimely death on the backside of a silk-floss tree.”

“I guess that’s why you don’t see those trees on school playgrounds. I’d love to see the canoe path someday when there’s time.”

She hopped to her feet and plucked up her bucket. “Let’s go. See those two trees where the tallest one sort of leans out over the water?” She pointed to some trees a few thousand yards away.

“I see them.”

“The canoe path is right between those trees. Let’s go.”

“Another day. We need to get back to the house. Since you couldn’t handle the sunblock near your eyes, I promised your mother we wouldn’t be out here more than an hour.”

“Oh yeah, darn it. Next time. And I’ll show you where I found some of the artifacts.”

“That’d be great.” We headed along the path that had been lined with smooth stones to show the way to the beach.

“I’m thirsty.” Becky swung her bucket back and forth and the shell pieces clinkered inside.

“I’ll go to the kitchen and get us some iced tea while you head upstairs and change out of your sandy clothes. Then I’ll meet you in the classroom for math.”

“Ugh, how about we just pretend that I did math today?”

“Don’t think there’s such a thing as pretend math.”

“There should be.” Becky took off at a run and I headed inside and straight into the kitchen. Aside from the noises coming from Becky’s room, the house was quiet. Marcus was, no doubt, hunched over his work table in the library, and Katherine was, more than likely, working in her office, a finely furnished room with oak cabinetry and tall windows.

I grabbed two glasses and opened the refrigerator. A vibration behind me pulled my attention to the ham radio cabinet. A red light flashed just below the cabinet, signaling that someone was trying to reach the island.

I leaned my head out into the hallway but didn’t see Katherine or anyone else, for that matter. I walked back to the cabinet deciding I could answer and tell the person to hold while I went to fetch Katherine.

As I opened the cabinet, Dax’s voice rumbled out. Even through the gritty speakers of the radio, the low, deep sound of it made my heart skip a beat. “Wildthorne One this is Tero One. Over.”

I took hold of the speaker and pressed the button. “Tero One this is Wildthorne Five. Over.” I released the button. A long pause followed. It seemed I’d stunned the message receiver.

“Wildthorne Five, good to hear your voice. Uh, who else is with you? Over.”

I shot a puzzled glance around the room. “No one. Over.”

“Then I would like to request for ham radio sex talk. Over.”

My face warmed. I peeked around again just to make sure we were alone. I leaned into the cabinet. “Wildthorne Five has denied that request. Over.”

“Tero One would like to know on what grounds. Over.”

“Uh, on grounds that anyone on this frequency can listen in. Over.”

“Tero One would like to point out to Wildthorne Five that wild is part of your handle. Over.”

“Yes, it is and yet Wildthorne Five is still saying a big fat negative to the request. Over.”

“Fine. Wildthorne Five is party pooper. Over.”

“That’s affirmative. Is there any message to be relayed? Over.”

“Yes, let Wildthorne One know that Ryan has cancelled. He’s sick with the flu. Over.”

“Right. Will let her know. Over.”

“One more thing, Wildthorne Five. Over.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Tero One would like to inquire what color panties you are wearing? Over.”

“Tero One will have to leave that inquiry to his imagination. Over.”

There was a long pause, then Dax’s voice came through in a hushed, less formal tone. “Miss you and want you here with me right now. Over and out.”

I smiled down at the microphone in my hand for a second before putting it away. Footsteps sounded on the kitchen floor as I closed the cabinet.

Katherine’s face was smooth as stone except for a tiny tick of movement in her cheek. “Who was that?” she asked sharply. I felt like a child just about to be scolded.

“I’m sorry, should I not have answered? It was Dax—uh—Tero One,” I added quickly, thinking I could easily remedy the awkwardness by giving her the message. “He said Ryan is sick and won’t be coming to the island today.”

Katherine nodded. Her cheeks sucked in, making her sharp cheek bones even more prominent. This was a new stern expression I’d never seen, and I wasn’t feeling good about it.

Her shoes struck the hard floor with angry clarity as she walked to the coffee pot. I took her sudden interest in pouring herself a cup as my chance for a quick getaway.

“It’s just that it seemed an overlong conversation for one short message.” She heard me leaving but pretended I was standing right behind her.

I froze in the doorway and a rush of nerves went through me as I quickly decided how to explain the length of the conversation. It was hard to know just what she’d heard. Then Becky’s mention of her mother’s incredible hearing flashed through my mind, and I felt suddenly sick to my stomach.

I pointed in the general direction of the radio cabinet. “That was my fault. It’s been a long time since I used a two way radio. I was being clumsy with the button and talking at the wrong time.” I said the lie with such confidence, I actually felt a twinge of guilt at how easily it had come to me.

Katherine’s cold expression tossed quick shade over my confidence. “That’s fine,” she said abruptly. “Next time call Marcus or me to the radio.”

“Right.” Feeling sufficiently scolded, I slinked quickly out of the kitchen and out from under her suspicious glower. But my intuition told me she’d heard too much and that this wasn’t going to end with just a quick admonishment.

Chapter 22

Dax

I’d landed Tero
and pulled the plane around. Kinley was usually waiting for me by the time I touched down, but there was no sign of her yet. I climbed out of the plane and decided to head toward the house to meet her. I hadn’t seen her in four days, and I was going out of my mind thinking about her. Our short talk on the radio three days earlier was the only thing that had gotten me through the week.

I pushed past the first layer of shrubs and met up with Kinley just as she was looking back over her shoulder. She turned forward and gasped when she saw me standing right in front of her.

“Hey, Rabbit, you look as if the big bad wolf is chasing you. And let me say, you’re looking the wrong direction because he’s right here.” I pointed at my chest with my thumbs. Normally, she laughed or at least smiled at my jokes, but I’d really missed the mark with my humor this time.

Kinley looked back again. Her button nose was doing its usual hula dance when she turned back to me.

“What’s wrong?”

She pushed an envelope into my hand. “Can you put this in the mailbox? It’s for my parents. I’m not going with you today.” She spurted out the words fast.

“Wait, what? Kinley, what’s going on?”

She took my hand and led me away from the pathway and in the direction of the beach. “The letter isn’t anything important, just a few words about my new job, but I needed it as an excuse in case Katherine saw me out here.”

“Katherine? Why doesn’t she want you out here?” I took hold of her arm and pushed through the shrubs to a small opening in the branches. It was out of view of the runway and the house. “Shit, Kinley, you’re shaking.” My confusion was quickly replaced by rage. “What the hell has she done to you?” I pushed aside a branch. “I’m going to go talk to her.”

Kinley grabbed my hand. “No, don’t. She hasn’t done anything, but circumstances have definitely changed. I think she might have heard us talking on the radio.”

“So what?” I quickly amended my reaction with a string of cuss words when I remembered the content of the conversation. “God, I’m sorry, Kinley. I was just messing around.”

On the other side of a tall, dense row of plants, we could hear Katherine walking along the path to the runway. Kinley dropped her voice really low. “She told me she’d decided to run the errands today and that I was to stay home with Becky.” She blinked hard to keep back the glassy tears in her eyes. “I think her only motive was to keep us apart.”

I reached for her but she shook her head. “Stick that letter in your pocket. I’m going to head this way toward the beach to hide while you take off.”

“But, Rabbit—”

She spun around but then returned two steps, hopped up on her toes and kissed me before disappearing into the plants.

I stepped out from the shrubs and landed right in Katherine’s harsh, questioning glare. “What on earth were you doing in there?”

“I was taking a piss.” I knew my crude response would silence her and it did.

“Let’s get going. I have a lot to do today,” she snarled.

I headed toward Tero, making sure to take fast, extra long steps. She had to scoot on her high heels to keep up.

I shot Katherine a cold, sideways glance. “How did I earn the displeasure of your company today?”

Her mouth pulled so tight, it nearly stretched from one side of her face to the other. It seemed she wasn’t going to answer my impolite question, which was probably for the best. I hated to get worked up in a lather when I was just about to sit behind the control wheel. It was probably Katherine’s motive for not responding too. We had always rubbed each other like nails on a chalkboard.

We sat in our usual cold silence for half the trip until she decided to throw her usual venom at me. “Just what the hell are you up to, James?”

“Uh, right now? About eight thousand feet.”

“And I want none of your usual smart ass answers.”

“I’m not a fucking kid anymore, Katherine, so let’s just stop talking before I decide to press the passenger seat eject button.” I could feel her harsh gaze on the side of my face, but I stayed focused on my controls. 

“I know there is something going on between you and Kinley. I want it to stop.”

How badly I wanted to let her know the truth, for no other reason except it would make her crazed with anger. But I’d promised Kinley I wouldn’t get in the way of her job. She obviously considered it an important step for moving on from her last relationship. I didn’t want to ruin that. I was going to wait patiently on the sidelines for as long as it took.

Katherine straightened her coat and her already uptight posture, which meant more poison was on its way. “Well, whatever tawdry thing you’ve started with her, it’s going to come to an abrupt end.”

She was baiting me. Fortunately, I knew exactly how she worked, so I didn’t bite.

“I’ll be running errands from now on.” She pulled her coat shut against the chilled air in the cabin. All I could think was—how could the most frigid woman in the world ever be cold?

I sat in steely silence, wondering if I should just put both of us out of our misery and head nose down into the ocean. Only I didn’t want Katherine’s face to be the last one I saw before a watery grave, even if it would be white with terror.

“So you’re keeping Becky’s tutor prisoner on the island until you can talk her into being Frankenstein’s bride?”

The icy air swirling around her now glowed with the heat of rage. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her swivel under her seatbelt. I wondered if she was going to throw a punch. She kept her fists to herself. I was sure that had more to do with the fact that I was in control of the plane than her not wanting to hit me.

“I warned Jack, from the moment you walked in with your suitcase and that angry little scowl that you’d be nothing but trouble.”

“Ever think that maybe it’s that black ice heart of yours that’s the problem? I was five fucking years old. I’d lost my dad
and
my mom and I was completely alone. Don’t you think maybe I had a right to be just a little bit angry at the world?”

“You hardly knew your parents, and God knows your mother—”

“Don’t—” I pointed at her, a habit she hated. Just like the cussing, which I was giving her an extra dose of just for fun. “Not a fucking word about my mom. And you’re fucking delusional if you think your plan is going to work. Kinley won’t have any part of it.”

“Ah ha, I guess that answers my earlier question about your relationship with Kinley.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? I just know your creepy little schemes. Kinley seems far too smart and worldly to be taken in. No matter how much money comes with it.”

“Everyone has need for money. Even you, it seems, as much as you pretend you don’t.”

“I live day to day, and I’m just fine with that.”

“Right.” She settled back in her seat and flipped the collar of her coat up to shield her face some. Which was just fine with me. If only she could have sunk down into that fucking coat and disappeared for good.