Chapter Seven
It was still dark when Nell tiptoed down to Mia's kitchen. The house was huge, and took some maneuvering. Though she wasn't sure what time Mia rose for the day, she brewed a pot of coffee for her hostess and wrote a note of thanks before she left.
They would have to talk, Nell thought as she drove home in the softening light of pre-dawn. About a number of things. And they would, she decided, as soon as she could figure out where to begin.
She could almost convince herself that what she'd seen in the moonlight had been nothing more than a champagne-induced dream. Almost. But it was too clear in her mind to be a dream.
Light spilling out of stars like liquid silver. A rising wind full of song. A woman glowing like a torch.
Such things should be fantasy. But they weren't. . . if they were real and she had a part in them, she needed to know what it all meant.
For the first time in nearly four years she felt absolutely steady, absolutely calm. For now, that was enough.
***
By noon she was too busy to think about more than the job at hand. There was a paycheck in her pocket, and a day off around the corner.
"Iced hazelnut cappuccino, large. " The man who ordered leaned on the counter as Nell began to work. She judged him as mid-thirties, health-club fit, and a mainlander.
It pleased her that she could already, with very decent accuracy, spot a mainlander. And feel the slightly smug reaction of an islander.
"So, how much aphrodisiac do you put in those cookies?" he asked her.
She glanced at him. "I'm sorry?"
"Ever since I tasted your oatmeal raisin, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. "
"Really? I could've sworn I put all the aphrodisiac in the macadamia nut. "
"In that case I'll take three," he said. "I'm Jim, and you've seduced me with your baked goods. "
"Then you'd better stay away from my three-bean salad. It'll ruin you for all other women. "
"If I buy all the three-bean salad, will you marry me and have my children?"
"Well, I would, Jim, but I've taken a sacred oath to stay free to bake for all the world. " She capped his coffee, bagged it. "Do you really want those cookies?"
"You bet. How about a clambake? Some friends and I are sharing a house. We're going to do in some clams tonight. "
"Tonight a clambake, tomorrow a house in the suburbs and a cocker spaniel. " She rang him up, took his money with a smile. "Better safe than sorry. But thanks. "
"You're breaking my heart," he said, and sighing heavily, he walked away.
"Oh, man, he is so cute. " Peg craned her neck to keep him in sight until he'd gone downstairs. "You're really not interested?"
"No. " Nell took off her apron, rolled her shoulders.
"Then you wouldn't mind if I gave him a shot?"
"Be my guest. There's plenty of bean salad in the fridge. Oh, and Peg? Thanks for being understanding about yesterday. "
"Hey, everybody gets weird now and then. See you Monday. "
See you Monday, Nell thought. It was just that simple. She was a member of the team, she had friends. She had deflected an overture from an attractive man without getting the jitters.
In fact, she enjoyed it, the way she used to enjoy such things. The day might come when she didn't feel compelled to deflect.
One day she might go to a clambake with a man and some of his friends. Talk, laugh, enjoy the companionship. Light, casual friendships. She could do that. There couldn't be any serious relationships in her future even if she could learn to handle one emotionally.
She was, after all, still legally married.
But now, just now, that fact was more of a safety net than the nightmare it had been. She was free to be whoever she wanted to be, but not free enough to be bound again, not to any man.
She decided to treat herself to an ice cream cone, and a detour to the beach. People called her by name as she passed, and that was a quiet thrill.
As she crossed the sand, she spotted Pete Stahr and his infamous dog. Both looked sheepish as Zack stood beside them, hands on hips.
He never wore a hat as he'd advised her to do when gardening. As a result his hair was lighter at the tips and almost always disordered from the ocean breeze. He rarely wore his badge either, she noted, but the gun rode in the holster at his hip almost casually.
It occurred to her that if he had stopped by the cafe and asked her to go to a clambake, she might not have brushed him off.
When the dog lifted his paw hopefully, Zack shook his head, pointed to the leash that Pete held. Once the leash was secured, man and dog walked off, heads hung low.
Zack turned, the sun bouncing off his dark glasses. And she knew instinctively that he was looking at her. Nell braced herself and went to him.
"Sheriff. "
"Nell. Pete let his dog off the leash again. Mutt smells like a fish house. Ice cream's dripping. "
"It's hot. " Nell licked at the cone and decided to get it over with. "About yesterday-"
"Feeling better?"
"Yes. "
"Good. Gonna share any of that?"
"What? Oh. Sure. " She held out the cone, felt a little tingle in the blood when he licked just above her fingertips. Funny, she thought, she hadn't gotten any tingles from the cute guy with the clambake. "You're not going to ask?"
"Not as long as you'd rather I didn't. " Yes, he'd looked at her. And had seen the deliberate squaring of her shoulders before she started toward him. "Why don't you walk with me a while? There's a nice breeze off the water. "
"I was wondering. . . what does Lucy do all day when you're out upholding the law?"
"This and that. Dog chores. "
That tickled a laugh out of her. "Dog chores?"
"Sure. Some days a dog's got to hang around the house, roll in the grass, and think long thoughts. Other times, she comes on in to the office with me, when she's in the mood. Swims, chews up my shoes. I'm thinking about buying her a brother or sister. "
"I was thinking about getting a cat. I'm not sure I'd be able to train a puppy. A cat would be easier. I saw a notice on the board in the market for free kittens. "
"The Stubens girl's cat. They've still got one or two left, last I heard. Their place is over on Bay. White saltbox, blue shutters. "
She nodded, stopped. Impulse, she reminded herself, had served her well so far. Why stop following it? "Zack, I'm going to try out a new recipe tonight. Tuna and linguini with sun-dried tomatoes and feta. I could use a guinea pig. "
He lifted her hand, took another taste of her dripping ice cream. "Well, it happens I don't have any pressing plans for tonight, and as sheriff I do what I can to serve the needs of the community. What time?"
"Is seven all right with you?"
"Works for me. "
"Fine, I'll see you then. Bring an appetite," she said as she hurried away.
"Count on it," he said, and tipped down his dark glasses to watch her dash back toward the village.
***