Page 16 of Dangerous Secret

As soon as he’d opted out of the military and returned home, he’d gone house hunting for a place on the beach. The minute he’d seen the two-story, pale green-and-white house on stilts with a copper-and-green tin roof, he’d fallen in love with the outside. The landscape was natural to the beaches of South Carolina…sand, a dozen palm trees scattered on the lot, sea oats and swamp sunflowers. It was a low-maintenance landscape, just what he wanted.

He’d been disappointed at the inside, which was outdated, but no problem. A great contractor who got his vision for the interior, eight weeks and a few bucks…and voila! He had his dream beach house.

“This is the life,” he murmured as he took a sip of his beer. Except he was sitting on his deck by himself. He bet Harlow would love it here. Maybe he’d invite her over one day. The impression he had was that she didn’t have much of a life. Did she have any close friends or family?

He’d had a date tonight that he’d canceled. Wasn’t in themood. Not just that, but it wasn’t fair to take one woman out when his mind was on another. He sighed as he lifted the bottle to his mouth.

Why her? His type of woman was outgoing, ready to have some fun and no more interested in having a relationship than he was. Yet, here he was, unable to stop thinking of a woman who was as timid as a mouse, delicate, maybe a little needy and carried a whole lot of baggage.

If she knew the things he’d seen, the things he’d done, she wouldn’t look at him with those soft, innocent eyes again. He didn’t like the idea of her being afraid of him, and she would be if she knew what he was capable of. The faster he got her reunited with her son, the faster she could move on with her life, and he with his.

His phone buzzed, Cooper’s name coming up on the screen. “Yo.”

“You home?”

“I am.”

“Great. I’ll be there in five.”

“I’m around back.” After disconnecting, he went inside and got two beers and a large can of mixed nuts. He was kicked back in his chair when Cooper came around the corner of the house.

“Honey, I’m home.” He jogged up the steps.

“All is right in my world now,” Grayson muttered.

Cooper eyed the table next to the chair he plopped onto. “Knew I could count on you, sweets, to have a beer and snack ready for me.” He let out a contented sigh. “Can I live on your deck?”

“No, you cannot,sweets. It would be like having a puppy I’d have to feed and pet.”

Cooper laughed. “Well, at least I’m house trained.”

“Still a no. Tired of your apartment already?”

“Not so much the apartment but there are people.”

“There are people? How very odd.” But he understood. After the life they’d led, having people in your face was the last thing you wanted.

“Hardy-har. I took the month-to-month rental thinking it would be okay for a while, until I was ready to find a house. I didn’t think I’d be ready the first week I moved in. There’s an elderly woman on my floor who wants to set me up with her granddaughter. The dude next door wants to be buddies. I went down to the pool the other day, and before I could blink, three bikini-clad women were competing for my attention.”

“Oh, the horror.”

“Right?” Cooper dug his hand into the can of nuts and grabbed a fistful. “I didn’t think I’d want to live on the beach. There’s sand, and it gets into everything. But sitting here, listening to the waves, and with the breeze cooling my face, I think I could overlook a little sand. Want to help me find a house?”

“Sure. I have a great Realtor I’ll set you up with.”

“Cool. So, I found Miss Etta Jankowski, and we had an interesting talk.”

“I’m all ears.”

“We bonded over tea, and I was given permission to call her Miss Etta. I hate hot tea.”

“Your sacrifice is noted. What did Miss Etta have to say?”

“She was born in that house eighty-seven years ago and still sharp as a tack. Her children grew up in that house, her husband died in his sleep in that house, and all she wanted was to live out the rest of her life where all her memories were. She got out a Bible, put her hand on it and swore thatshe mailed her property taxes the year the tax office said she didn’t. I believe her.”

“Me, too, and that’s just wrong.”

“She told me the name of her neighbor who she swears had the same thing happen to him. George Pickens. She said they were both taken advantage of because they’re seniors and neither have families to look out of them.”

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