to visit the lighthouse together. It was no big deal.” He tilted his head and lowered his voice, “Cali, I know you think you’re helping, but the man who took her is dangerous. You need to stop snooping around before you get hurt.”
“Tell me what you know about him.”
“I know you don’t want to cross paths with him.”
“That’s original.” Cali flipped her long hair behind her shoulders and began tapping her right foot again. “Why don’t you tell me something I don’t know?”
Nick clenched his hands into fists and crossed his arms. Shaking his head, he said, “You have no idea what this man is capable of.”
“If you tell me, then I’d know wouldn’t I?”
He ground his teeth and sighed as his irritation grew. “It’s getting late. I’ll walk you back to your room.” He turned on his heel and picked up the water bottles, napkin and the sandwich wrapper, dumping them into the poolside trash can before facing her again.
“So that’s it? You won’t tell me anything?”
“No. I can’t tell you anything. Not yet.”
Cali looked away, took in a deep breath and walked past him out of the pool gate. He let her lead the way back to her rented room. Stopping in front of the door, she wrapped her arms around herself and studied her toes.
Nick slipped the key into the slot and turned it, opening the door an inch. When she moved to step inside, he caught her slender arm in his grasp. “Stop snooping, Cali. Don’t put yourself at risk.”
Her full lips tightened. “I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah? That’s probably what Serena thought, too.”
A brief flash of pain crossed her eyes before they became guarded.
“Listen Cali, I’m only trying to keep you safe. It’s my duty to protect you.”
Renewed determination swirled in her eyes along with a spark of anger. “Yeah? Well, don’t do me any favors. It was your duty to protect Serena too. And look what happened to her.”
Night Waves
Night Waves
Chapter Four
Guilt injected itself into Cali’s thoughts, winding its way through her system to the point where she picked up her cell phone the next morning to call the sheriff and apologize. Her words spoken in anger last night had been unfair. It was not his fault Serena was missing, but Cali needed an outlet for her anger and frustration, and Nick Justice was a good target. Now, after a restless night of sleep, her conscience prodded her into punching in the numbers to the sheriff’s office, but she quickly snapped her cell phone shut before the first ring finished.
With a heavy groan, Cali grabbed her purse and headed out the door, knowing a sincere apology sounded better when given face to face. An unexpected sense of anticipation in seeing Sheriff Justice again sent her pulse into overdrive before even making it to her car.
Considering ways to apologize as she drove a few miles north on the beach road, she decided a long drawn out apology was uncalled for and settled for a quick, Sorry about what I said last night. Why she had to rehearse it in her head several times, she could not figure out. How hard could it be to say she was sorry? And why did her pulse rate increase as she approached the office?
By the time she pulled into the parking lot, her nerves had unraveled, and she almost turned around. Almost. The only thing keeping her from leaving was the fact that she had spent over two hours the night before, after Sheriff Justice left the motel, writing detailed notes about Serena that she thought might be helpful in the investigation. She only hoped Sheriff Justice had been serious when he said he would take the time to read them.
She pulled three pages of notes out of her purse and headed inside the office, trying to ignore the overwhelming humidity that greeted her every time she set foot outside.
A deputy she hadn’t seen before opened the door to leave the office as she approached. The nearly bald, stocky man tipped his head in greeting and held the door
“Tell me what you know about him.”
“I know you don’t want to cross paths with him.”
“That’s original.” Cali flipped her long hair behind her shoulders and began tapping her right foot again. “Why don’t you tell me something I don’t know?”
Nick clenched his hands into fists and crossed his arms. Shaking his head, he said, “You have no idea what this man is capable of.”
“If you tell me, then I’d know wouldn’t I?”
He ground his teeth and sighed as his irritation grew. “It’s getting late. I’ll walk you back to your room.” He turned on his heel and picked up the water bottles, napkin and the sandwich wrapper, dumping them into the poolside trash can before facing her again.
“So that’s it? You won’t tell me anything?”
“No. I can’t tell you anything. Not yet.”
Cali looked away, took in a deep breath and walked past him out of the pool gate. He let her lead the way back to her rented room. Stopping in front of the door, she wrapped her arms around herself and studied her toes.
Nick slipped the key into the slot and turned it, opening the door an inch. When she moved to step inside, he caught her slender arm in his grasp. “Stop snooping, Cali. Don’t put yourself at risk.”
Her full lips tightened. “I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah? That’s probably what Serena thought, too.”
A brief flash of pain crossed her eyes before they became guarded.
“Listen Cali, I’m only trying to keep you safe. It’s my duty to protect you.”
Renewed determination swirled in her eyes along with a spark of anger. “Yeah? Well, don’t do me any favors. It was your duty to protect Serena too. And look what happened to her.”
Night Waves
Night Waves
Chapter Four
Guilt injected itself into Cali’s thoughts, winding its way through her system to the point where she picked up her cell phone the next morning to call the sheriff and apologize. Her words spoken in anger last night had been unfair. It was not his fault Serena was missing, but Cali needed an outlet for her anger and frustration, and Nick Justice was a good target. Now, after a restless night of sleep, her conscience prodded her into punching in the numbers to the sheriff’s office, but she quickly snapped her cell phone shut before the first ring finished.
With a heavy groan, Cali grabbed her purse and headed out the door, knowing a sincere apology sounded better when given face to face. An unexpected sense of anticipation in seeing Sheriff Justice again sent her pulse into overdrive before even making it to her car.
Considering ways to apologize as she drove a few miles north on the beach road, she decided a long drawn out apology was uncalled for and settled for a quick, Sorry about what I said last night. Why she had to rehearse it in her head several times, she could not figure out. How hard could it be to say she was sorry? And why did her pulse rate increase as she approached the office?
By the time she pulled into the parking lot, her nerves had unraveled, and she almost turned around. Almost. The only thing keeping her from leaving was the fact that she had spent over two hours the night before, after Sheriff Justice left the motel, writing detailed notes about Serena that she thought might be helpful in the investigation. She only hoped Sheriff Justice had been serious when he said he would take the time to read them.
She pulled three pages of notes out of her purse and headed inside the office, trying to ignore the overwhelming humidity that greeted her every time she set foot outside.
A deputy she hadn’t seen before opened the door to leave the office as she approached. The nearly bald, stocky man tipped his head in greeting and held the door
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