Tidal Wave Read Online Free PDF Page A

patted her cheek. “I told you all the boys were going to be after you.” She gave a contented smile as she turned her chair to better see the ocean. “He won’t be the only one, I guarantee it.”
    The morning passed in a blur, and Alexia grew more and more confused. Gram hauled her from location to location, insisting there was something she needed at each stop.
    Yet Gram purchased nothing but coffee and cake at the restaurant, and even that had been “on the house” once the manager, another of the Marley brothers, came to the table to give his personal greetings. By the end of the morning, Alexia had been reintroduced to at least a dozen of the playmates she’d gained over summers past. Now they were all sensual men who watched her with their bright eyes and more than a passing interest. Alexia felt the heat of their stares as they examined the necklace hanging between her breasts, their gazes lingering on her body.
    They all found an opportunity to touch her casually in passing, her arm, her shoulder or they kissed her knuckles as they bent low over her hand. Part of her rebelled and wondered why she was being fawned over. Part of her grew hot and bothered and wondered what she could do to make them never stop. A low buzz of anticipation grew throughout her body and by lunchtime it was enough.
    “Time to go home, Gram.”
    “But there’s a couple more—”
    “No.” Alexia rubbed her temples with her fingertips. “They will have to wait until tomorrow. Since you insist I go out tonight, I suggest we spend some time at home this afternoon. We can go through some of the things you want put aside for the research fellow who’s supposed to contact us soon.” She glanced at her grandmother to see Gram staring back with a great deal of surprise on her lined face.
    Alexia gave her a gentle smile. “You’re not used to anyone telling you ‘no’, are you?”
    Gram turned her face away to stare out the window but not before Alexia caught the small pout on the older woman’s lips. It was clear from the morning outing everyone in the small beachside community went out of their way to spoil her grandmother. She reached across the car seat and squeezed Gram’s hand for a moment. Alexia wasn’t displeased with the knowledge, but she was in dire need of a cold shower before attempting to accomplish anything of value in the afternoon. Her whole body was edgy and raw. Tight. Like she was being drawn thin and taut, and needed to be poured into before she could find release.
     
    Joshua glanced up from his workbench to see a group of his brothers marching rapidly down the boardwalk, heads close together as if they shared some great secret. He fought the impulse to call out and instead waited to see if they planned to include him. A flash of pain shot through him as they passed the window with barely a nod and a wave in acknowledgement.
    Why it had become okay to ignore him, Joshua never understood. The “when” had started the first summer he’d been sent away, but as to the “why”, there was no rhyme or reason he could see. As the youngest he had a lot in common with the mob, even though he had chosen a more artistic line of work.
    He wiped his fingers on his apron, removing a trace of the glue that clung from his latest project. The mirror surrounded by an intricate mosaic made of shell fragments was nearly ready for shipping, and he admired it once more before being distracted by passersby.
    Joshua puzzled over what he saw. There were more people than usual headed to the Beachshore Inn this evening. More of his relatives. The male relatives.
    He wiped his hands carefully and removed his work apron. He ran upstairs and as quickly as possible showered and changed into a clean shirt and jeans. He deliberated whether he should place his hair in its usual ponytail but decided to let it swing loose over his shoulders, like Alexia had seen him most recently. The memory brought a smile to his lips and an ache to his