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“Don’t wish for things you’re better off not having, Bryce.”
“And please don’t think every man is a loser like Scott,” Bryce begged. “I want to believe my soul mate is still out there.”
“Still reading those romance novels, are you?” That had been Bryce’s favorite pastime. She had been reading them long before her mother discovered she’d been doing so.
Bryce chuckled as she moved the car forward. “And what if I am?”
Vashti shook her head. “Because they are filled with unrealistic expectations and are a real disservice to women.”
“I beg to differ. They provide some of us with hope.”
Vashti decided not to counter. If that’s what Bryce believed then she wouldn’t try bursting her bubble, but personally, she knew better. There was no such thing as that much passion and desire. And most of the time it was the woman who worked at the romance part. A man was out for what he could get. He had needs.
But then so did women.
She hadn’t thought much about those needs until yesterday when she’d been pulled over by the town’s sexy hot sheriff. She would admit that for the first time in years...possibly ever, she’d felt attracted to a man. Really attracted to one. At least the encounter had let her know her libido was still alive after being dormant for a couple of years. She had Scott to thank for that and since she now knew about his sidepiece, she wouldn’t complain, although she would admit it bothered her to know he’d been getting some when she hadn’t. Lust, she thought, was a bitch. But yesterday she’d concluded that for a short while, lust had been given a name. Sawyer Grisham.
She doubted she would ever see the man again. At least she hoped not. One ticket was enough.
“And you’re sure I can’t convince you to hang around a few days?”
She glanced over at Bryce when they’d come to another traffic light. “I am positive. If it wasn’t for my needing to go before the zoning board I wouldn’t be here now. New York is my home and it’s where I belong.”
“Is it? Do you? You don’t have a job there anymore.”
No, she didn’t and although she’d submitted her résumé to several places, nobody had called. But then, she couldn’t lose sight of that. If she could sell Shelby she wouldn’t have to worry about a job or anything else for years or ever. She could travel the world. Heck, she could even buy her own hotel or maybe buy into a franchise.
“That’s why I need to sell Shelby, and you never did answer my question. Do you not want the Barnes Group to buy Shelby by the Sea?”
“You want my honesty?”
“Of course.”
“Then no. Even with all the money I could make off the sale.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you back here running your aunt’s inn, Vash.”
Vashti shook her head. “It’s not happening.”
“Will you ever forgive this town?”
She frowned over at Bryce. “It’s not a matter of forgiveness, Bryce. It’s a matter of what makes me happy. Honestly, I don’t even think about Catalina Cove until you call. Then I remember my connection and after that the memories come, which aren’t flattering. I’m no longer a small-town girl. I love big-city New York. The bright lights. Broadway. The subway. The Hudson River. I tried to get you to come live with me for a while to experience it for yourself but you weren’t interested.”
“I like it here.”
“Because you haven’t seen what other places have to offer. I have.”
“I still think you belong here.”
After all this time Vashti wondered why Bryce would think so. She decided not to ask her now as they pulled up in front of the Witherspoon Café. But she would ask her later.
* * *
SAWYER PRESSED THE button on the intercom. “Yes, Trudy?”
“K-Gee is on the line.”
He smiled. “You mean Kaegan, don’t you?” He was well aware Kaegan Chambray had instructed the townspeople to drop the nickname K-Gee and call him by his birth name when he’d returned a couple of years ago after having been gone for close to fourteen years. Most of the people in town had followed his directive...except for Trudy.
“I mean K-Gee.”
“Okay put him through.” When he heard the click signaling the connection, he said, “What’s up, Kaegan?”
Even Sawyer had been surprised at how easily he and Kaegan had struck up a friendship. Other than his marine buddies, he’d never had time to develop other friendships. Sawyer had been sheriff two years when Kaegan had returned to town and they’d bonded quickly because they’d had a lot in common. They’d both been marines who’d served multiple tour duties in Afghanistan. Although their paths never crossed they’d figured out they’d been in the same area about the same time. They’d enjoyed sharing war stories over beer at Collins Bar and Grill.
“Just a reminder that the zoning board has a meeting today at five.”
Sawyer released a deep sigh. He’d forgotten about that. “Thanks for reminding me.” He glanced at the calendar on his desk. Although he’d forgotten to write it down he recalled Kaegan telling him about the meeting a couple of weeks ago. He often wondered why he’d let Kaegan talk him into being Henry Smith’s replacement while the old-timer was out recuperating from hip surgery. “I’ll be there.”
“Okay, see you later.”
After Sawyer clicked off the phone and while it was fresh on his mind, he texted his daughter letting her know he would be home late. She was at school and wouldn’t see the message until the end of the day since the school’s policy was to have all phones turned off during the day.
Glancing at his watch he saw it was close to noon. Usually he worked through lunch, but since he would be eating dinner late he might as well go out and grab something to eat. As usual he’d gotten up at six and cooked dinner. By the time he’d taken a jog around the neighborhood, showered and dressed the food was ready to slide into the refrigerator. On those days when he was detained, Jade could eat without him. He tried making it home at a reasonable time so they could eat dinner together but being sheriff meant things didn’t always work out that way. On those days he did arrive home on time he looked forward to sharing meals with his daughter. It was important for him that they use that time to talk. He was always interested in knowing how her day went and how things were going at school.
Since joining the zoning committee he’d discovered you never knew what to expect until you got to the meetings. To him the Catalina Cove Zoning Board was nothing more than an overgrown version of a homeowners’ association. The residents of the cove had to get practically everything approved before any exterior changes were made to the structure or look of any home or building. That included painting, replacing windows or doors, removing trees from your yard, adding a fence or something as simple as switching out a mailbox.
Walking out of his office, he glanced over at Trudy. “I’m leaving for lunch and will be back in an hour.”
“Okay. And I meant to ask how the beef strudel turned out?”
“She altered the recipe,” he said, grabbing his hat off the rack on his way out. He knew he didn’t need to say more than that. It hadn’t been the first time Jade had murdered a recipe Trudy had given her.
“I offered to send her to cooking classes,” he said as he headed for the door.
“Not a bad idea. Especially if she seems interested in learning.”
Sawyer thought his daughter seemed more inclined to experiment with recipes. Hopefully cooking classes would offer directions. When he walked out the door he glanced up at the sun that was shining bright in the sky. Hard to believe it was spring already. In a couple of months school would be out and he would have to deal with kids getting bored during the summer months and getting into unnecessary trouble.
He hadn’t decided what he planned to do over the summer this year. Usually he would take two weeks off in June and take Jade somewhere. Last year they had spent a week in Orlando visiting all the theme parks there. Then they’d spent a week in Miami South Beach. Usually for spring break every year and the week after school ended he would put her on a plane to visit her godmother in Waco, Texas. Erin Daniels had been Johanna’s best friend since high school.
But this year Jade wanted a summer job. She wanted a car and felt she should contribute toward the down payment. A part of him felt he should appreciate her wanting to do that, but he still wasn’t gung ho on her working.
A short while later he was getting out of the patrol car to go into Witherspoon Café, one of his favorite eating places. They served the best omelets for breakfast and the soup and sandwiches on their lunch menu were tasty as well. Every once in a while he would dine here for dinner on those days when Jade had to stay after school or was involved with something at church.
He entered the café. Lunchtime was less formal, and just like a fast-food place you ordered your food before sitting down. For the dinner crowd there was someone who waited on your table. “Afternoon, Sheriff, what can I get for you?”
The man behind the lunch counter was Chester Witherspoon. He was a robust man, probably in his middle sixties with bushy brows over a pair of dark eyes, and a bald head. Sawyer had never known a time when the man hadn’t had a friendly smile. Walking up to the counter, he said, “I think I’m going to have one of your juicy hamburgers and a large order of fries today, Chester.” Since he wasn’t sure how long the zoning board would be meeting he might as well make sure his stomach was full.
“And what would you like to drink?”
“Iced tea is fine,” he said, putting a few bills on the counter. “And grab me a few of Deb’s blueberry muffins to take home to Jade.” His daughter loved them and Deb’s were the best.
“How’s Jade? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
That’s the one thing he had to get used to in a small town. Practically everybody knew each other. “She’s fine. Finishing up her sophomore year of high school and already looking forward to the fall when she’ll be a junior.”
“Boy. I remember when the two of you first moved to town. Hard to believe she’ll be leaving in a couple of years for college.”
He didn’t like to be reminded of that, especially since he knew Jade planned to attend school in Reno. That was the deal they’d made when they’d moved here. When it was time for college she could return to Nevada.
A few minutes later he sat down with his food in hand. By habit he rarely sat with his back to any door and selected a table that faced the entrance. He figured it was the former FBI agent in him. This particular table suited him just fine because he had the ability to see whoever entered long before they noticed him.
A short while later he stopped eating when Bryce Witherspoon walked in with the driver of that little red Corvette, Vashti Alcindor. He had a feeling Kaegan and Bryce had history. He’d derived that assumption from their body language whenever they were within a few feet of each other. Kaegan never said and he’d never asked.
He took in both women but his full concentration quickly moved to Vashti Alcindor as his gaze swept over her from head to toe. In the very spot where she was standing, while the brilliance of sunlight shined directly on her, she looked simply gorgeous. It had been a long time since he’d bestowed such a description on any woman but he would in this case. She deserved it.
While she was sitting in that car yesterday he’d only seen so much of her. Now he was seeing it all and he liked what he saw. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. So he didn’t, although maybe he should. No woman since Johanna had held his attention like Vashti was doing now.
Both women were wearing shorts and tops, and his gaze sharpened as it roamed over her legs. They were a long and sleek pair that was perfect with her curvaceous hips and thighs. She was well toned and he knew a body as shapely as hers was the benefit of an active physical regime. More than likely she had a membership in one of those fitness centers in New York. You didn’t get a figure like hers just eating and sleeping.
Unlike yesterday when her hair had been down and flying in the wind, today it was pulled back in a ponytail and the style made her look younger. She could easily pass for a college coed instead of the thirty-two-year-old that he knew that she was.
His gaze went back to her face, an image he’d thought about after he’d gone to bed. A first for him there as well. He had been married to Johanna for twelve years and during that entire time hadn’t looked twice at another woman. Why was he trying to make up for lost time and why with this woman?
He watched her smile as she hurried across the floor when Chester came from behind the counter to engulf her in a huge bear hug. Even from where he sat Sawyer could see tears forming in her eyes and had to momentarily look away from such an emotional reunion. If what Trudy had said was true, and he had no reason to believe it wasn’t, this was Ms. Alcindor’s first time back to the cove in fourteen years. That was a long time not to come back home. Hell, at least she had a hometown to return to if she’d chosen to do so. He didn’t.
He drew in a deep breath, not wanting to think about his childhood. His birth certificate claimed he’d been born in Dallas but he had been sent to live in a foster home with a family residing in Waco before his first birthday when his unwed mother had given him up for adoption. He recalled being sent from one foster home to another, even crossing state lines to do so. At sixteen he’d been taken in by a good Christian couple. John and Edith Fairchild had been too old to even think about raising a teenager. But they had and he would always appreciate their good deeds. To repay them for their kindness he got good grades in school and worked hard to stay out of trouble.
He had gone straight from high school to the military. He hadn’t been enlisted a year when he’d received word that Mrs. Edith had passed away in her sleep. He had returned home for the funeral only to have Mr. John die the following year from pneumonia.
When he’d come home for Mr. John’s funeral, he’d had to deal with the man’s long-lost brother who’d shown up to claim everything, and make sure Sawyer didn’t get anything. He’d gone to a bar the night of the funeral to drown his sorrows and he’d met Johanna.
Laughter made him look back to see Ms. Debbie and her two sons rush from the back to give Ms. Alcindor huge hugs as well. It was obvious everyone was glad to see her, which meant not everyone in town had thought ill of her. Hearing her story had made him think of his biological mother. He’d heard she’d also had him at a young age and had given him up for adoption. Only thing, the adoption never happened. He’d been born with a severe breathing disorder and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital before finally outgrowing it. No one had wanted what they thought to be a sickly baby.
He wasn’t sure why Vashti Alcindor chose that moment to glance over in his direction. When their gazes connected a sudden jolt of heat vibrated between them. He felt it and knew she had to feel it as well. The surprised expression on her face indicated as much. It also revealed she was just as stunned by it as he was.
He wanted to break eye contact with her but for some reason he couldn’t. Not when a ripple of desire rushed through him, making him glad he was sitting down. Had he been standing he would have felt weak in the knees. What he was feeling was another first. He’d never felt an intense longing for a woman just from looking at her. As if breaking from the spell surrounding them, she returned her attention to the people around her. Shaking off whatever had passed between them, he drew in a deep breath trying to get his mind back on track. He fought the temptation to steal a look at her as he finished eating.
A short while later, temptation that had been gnawing at his insides made him glance across the room to see she was sitting at a booth with Bryce. Standing, he cleared the trash off the table while thinking he didn’t like being attracted to her. He didn’t like it one damn bit.
He tossed the trash away before strolling to the door. Without his consent, his eyes looked to Vashti Alcindor again and the moment his gaze connected with hers, he couldn’t stop the half smile that curved his lips when he tipped his hat at her before walking out of the café.
CHAPTER FIVE
VASHTI SLOWLY DREW in a deep breath while trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach as she continued to stare at the door Sheriff Sawyer Grisham had walked out of. If a half smile from him could cause her body to react the way it had, she didn’t want to think what a full smile would do.
Damn it. Why did he have to look so good even with a gun and holster around his hips and a badge of the law on his chest? Just knowing he’d given her a speeding ticket yesterday should have made him a total turnoff, but instead she’d found him a total turn-on.
And hadn’t Bryce said the hot sheriff was already involved with someone? A woman living in New Orleans? On top of that, she would be leaving Catalina Cove in another day. She would be leaving tomorrow if Bryce hadn’t made her feel guilty and talked her into staying another night. She had changed her flight to Friday to accommodate her best friend’s plea.
“I guess now that Sheriff Grisham has left, I can claim all of your attention,” Bryce said, as a corner of her mouth teased into a smile. “I need a fan to cool things off.”
Vashti had to laugh since she knew exactly what Bryce was referring to. That hot stare he’d given her had certainly heated things up.
“Sorry about that,” she said, taking a sip of her iced tea.
“No need to apologize. Sheriff Grisham is the hottest thing in town and has been for the four years he’s been here. But I am surprised he was checking you out as much as you were him. I saw that look the two of you gave each other before we sat down.”
“Surprised?”
“Yes, like I told you, he’s never shown any interest in a woman living here before.”
“I don’t live here and he really didn’t show interest. He was probably trying to figure out where he remembered me from.”
Now it was Bryce who laughed. “You don’t believe that any more than I do. You are a woman no man could easily forget, Vash. There’s no reason for me not to believe the sheriff doesn’t have a good memory. Besides, that look was a man-interested-in-a-woman look.”
Was that true? As if Bryce had read her thoughts, she said, “Sometimes I wonder about you, Vash.”
Vashti lifted a brow. “Wonder about me how?”
“When will you accept the fact that the two men who let you down didn’t deserve you and that you can do better? I believe one day you will do better.”
Vashti didn’t say anything as she ate her sandwich. She knew what two men Bryce was talking about. The only two men she’d ever loved. The guy who’d fathered her baby and Scott. Her baby’s daddy had let her down when he hadn’t stood by her when she’d needed him the most. And Scott, well, she was convinced he truly never intended to do right by her.
She glanced up to find Bryce staring at her and knew she had to address what her best friend had said if they intended to finish lunch. “It doesn’t matter with me anymore, Bryce. I’ve given up on men completely. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good-looking man when I see one. It means I don’t plan to become involved with one anytime soon.”
“Why deny yourself happiness?”
“I’m not denying myself happiness. I’m assuring myself happiness. I’ve discovered men have a way of bringing you down instead of lifting you up. I couldn’t handle another heartbreak.”
Vashti hoped she hadn’t said anything to ruin Bryce’s belief of one day finding someone for herself. To make sure she hadn’t, she said, “I guess you can say I’ve had bad luck when it comes to men, Bryce. But that doesn’t mean things will be that way for you. In fact, I’m sure they won’t.”
Bryce was about to say something when her phone rang. She quickly pulled it from her purse. “Excuse me, Vash. This is a call I’ve been hoping to get,” she said, sliding off the seat with her phone in hand.
“No problem,” Vashti said as Bryce hurried to the back where it was less noisy. She took that time to pull out her own phone to check her messages. So far she hadn’t gotten any feedback on the résumés she’d submitted to a number of job opportunity sites. She wouldn’t have to worry about a job if she could convince the zoning board to let that developer do what they wanted on that land. She could certainly understand the developers not wanting to go through with the sale if there were restrictions.
She glanced at the door and her thoughts shifted to the man who’d walked out of it earlier. Sheriff Sawyer Grisham was a good-looking man. No doubt about it. She could see why the women in town were vying for his attention. He’d been smart not to become involved with anyone locally and if he was seeing someone living in New Orleans, that was a good move on his part. She of all people knew how some of the people in the cove felt it was their God-given right to know every blasted detail of your personal business.
She could still feel the look he’d given her before leaving. His eyes had shone with male interest and when he’d shot her that half smile, a small dimple had appeared in one of his cheeks. She felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach whenever he looked at her.
“I have some good news and I have some bad news,” Bryce said, returning to the table and interrupting her thoughts.
“I prefer hearing the good news first,” Vashti said, taking a sip of her tea.
A huge smile touched Bryce’s lips. “The good news is that I have a buyer for a house I’ve been trying to sell for almost a year.”
Vashti returned her smile. “Bryce, that’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“So what’s the bad news?” Vashti then asked.
“The buyer wants to close the deal right away. Today if possible. He’s leaving town later today for an extended trip out of the country, and I need to get back to my office to get the papers processed. That means I won’t be able to go with you to Shelby by the Sea.”
Vashti shrugged, smiled. “No worries. I know how to get there on my own. Just drop me off at your place to get my car and I’ll be fine.”
Bryce seemed to mull that over for a moment and then said, “I was hoping to go there with you.”
Although Vashti had said no worries, she knew Bryce would worry. She and Bryce had talked about it last night. This would be Vashti’s first time back to Shelby since leaving town fourteen years ago. The hardest part was knowing that her aunt wouldn’t be opening that door with a welcoming and understanding smile and giving her a huge hug. Her aunt had always been there for her. She had understood her even when her parents hadn’t. Vashti had made sure her aunt left the inn at least a few times each year by bringing her to New York to visit or by going on cruises together.
“I know, Bryce, but I can handle it. I’m a big girl.”
Bryce nodded. “And what about that little red toy car? You won’t get another ticket, will you?”
Vashti chuckled. “No, I won’t get another ticket.” She wouldn’t dare admit that the thought of getting pulled over again by Sheriff Grisham wasn’t so bad. “I won’t be at Shelby’s for long. I plan to be at the zoning board meeting on time and need to shower and change clothes first.”
She stood. “Come on,” she said to Bryce. “You have things to do and so do I.”
* * *
“HOW WAS LUNCH, SHERIFF?” Trudy asked when he passed her desk.
“Delicious as usual,” was his reply as he made his way to his office. The food had been delicious but he had concentrated on other things while eating it. Namely, another person.
Before returning to the office he had driven around town to give himself time to get his thoughts back on track and to ponder what there was about Vashti Alcindor that captivated him. She was a good-looking woman, but he’d been in the presence of good-looking women before and none had ever gotten a reaction from him like she had.