Page 59 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

The café was only open until eleven, but I anxiously watched the clock trying to move the hands forward with my mind. Dex had come in an hour after we opened to help in the kitchen. The customers cheered as he walked in, which I should have taken as a commentary on my cooking, but I was just glad to see him.

Admittedly, I was a touch nervous about my whole theory that the coins were hidden at Lion Rock. What if I was wrong? It would break Dex’s heart. I wished I hadn’t been so darn confident and cocky about it this morning. It would feel like an extra big kick in the pants if it turned out I was wrong.

A few customers lingered long over coffee and conversation, but we started to clean up around them. Dex was cleaning the griddle as I walked in back. I was still having a hard time believing that he was standing there in my café, in my life again. When he showed up at my door, injured and wet and looking as if he was standing on his last thread of hope, I didn’t think twice about inviting him in. I knew right then that I’d made a rash decision sending him on his way. I wanted him to be part of my life. I was more sure of that than ever. The question was—did he need me in his life enough to stay here in Whisper Cove? He’d mentioned more than once that he'd leave after he took care of things for Quinn. If my hunch was right and the coins were at Lion Rock, then he might very well board his tugboat and leave the cove for good. It was a possibility I’d have to contend with. I just couldn’t do it right now. It was a possible ending to this story that would take time to get over. At first, I told myself not to do it, not to give my heart to the idea of being with Dex, because I was scared of having it broken. But I’d decided it was worth the risk. He was worth the risk.

“I can start prep for tomorrow,” Dex said as he looked up from his task.

“We’re closed tomorrow. I don’t like to chop veggies too early. I’ll get it done tomorrow.”

“Not much of a day off,” he said.

“It comes with owning a business. Lack of free time, that is. The last customers just left, and we’re starting cleanup. Then we can go to Lion Rock. And Dex, as much as I hate to admit it, there is every chance that I’m wrong.”

“I know, Aria. But if you’re right, I’m going to give you the biggest darn kiss.” He rubbed his chin. “Actually, you’ll get the kiss either way. Coins or no coins. Unless—” He paused. “Unless I’m misreading something here between us. I don’t want to assume.”

I walked toward him and kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Sometimes assumptions work out better than you expect.”

My nerves had tripled in intensity, so much so that I couldn’t even absorb and enjoy the giddiness I was feeling about having Dex back in my life.

Dex left his motorcycle at the marina, and I drove us to Lion Rock. The northern end of the cove was walled-in by a steep cliff of craggy rocks. Dune grass jutted from some of the deeper fissures, and the top shelves of rocks were a favorite roosting place for gulls. The midday sun reflected off a mostly glassy sea, and while it didn’t provide much warmth, considering its position in the late fall sky, it gave us exactly the right angle of light.

Dex and I walked hand in hand across the deep sand. My hand felt so small in his, small and secure. I tugged my hand back to let him know we’d reached our destination. We were still a good twenty yards from the rocky wall at the end of the cove.

Dex looked at me, then shaded his eyes as he looked up the tall, rocky cliff. “You didn’t tell me we’d be climbing.”

I laughed. “I only know of two people who tried to climb that wall of rocks, and let’s just say, neither of them made it to the top, but they both earned a trip to urgent care. We don’t need to climb anything. Lion Rock is near the bottom.” I stared up at him. “You’ll be able to reach it on your tiptoes.”

Dex clapped his hands together once. “Great. Where is it?”

I squinted out toward the sun and looked back at the rocks. “Give it a second.”

Dex stood quietly next to me. Energy and anticipation were coming off him in waves. “Does it start to roar or something?”

“Now that would be cool and also make it much easier to find.”

“Wait. You don’t know where Lion Rock is?” He turned to me with a puzzled look.

I held up a finger. “Hold on. No jumping ship yet.” I kept the finger up. A breeze ruffled my hair, and I pushed it off my face. “Wait, here we go. Now.” I started heading to the rocks.

Dex took longer to get moving. “Where are we going? What’s different now?”

“Don’t you see it?” I asked excitedly. “The lion’s head is right there.” I stopped and pointed.

Dex stared ahead. “I see rocks.”

I tapped his arm. “You’ve got to use your imagination, but when the light hits just right you can see the profile of a lion’s head. That jutting round rock is the nose and below it is the open mouth. There are even two sharp protrusions that look like fangs. Hurry, when the light moves, the lion disappears and then it’s harder to find the features.”

“Pretty darn hard to find them even with the light,” he said as he caught up to me.

“It’s easier to see him from back there, where we were standing. I’ll show you sometime when we’re not hot on the trail of stolen treasure.”

I stopped right in front of the rock just below the mouth crevice and closed my eyes. “Come on Whisper Cove fairies, I could really use a little good mojo right now.” I turned to Dex. “Take it from here, Gigantor.”

Dex walked closer to the rock. He didn’t even need to get up on his toes. He stood there for so long, staring into the crevice, that a knot of dread started to form in my stomach.

“Well?” I asked.

“Looks like the lion swallowed the coins,” he said grimly.

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