Page 60 of Just Beachy

“No. Just tied up taking care of some family business.” His reply is also pleasant, and his smile is relaxed and friendly. What I don’t know is whether he’s telling the truth or is a better actor than I realized. But then, I can’t think what reason he’d have for lying. “Lillian mentioned she’d be out here teaching, and I thought I’d come watch her at work. She’s quite a dynamo.”

“Yes, she is,” I agree. “Do you two have plans for after the class?”

“Not yet. But I thought I’d wait and see whether she’s available for a cocktail or an early dinner.”

“Ah, okay. I guess I’ll see you around.”

“You can bet on it.” His smile remains pleasant, but there’s something in his eyes that isn’t as relaxed as his smile.

I turn to leave, and as I walk back to Luke, I tell myself that I’m imagining things.

“I’m going to run over to the bookstore for a few minutes. But I’ll be back in time to have a table waiting so that we can have that drink and watch the sunset.”

Luke’s answer is a smile and the slightest of winks.

I wave goodbye to Grand then take the steps up to the sidewalk, where I look up and down Gulf Way. I step off the curb and am halfway across the street when I hear the revving of an engine followed by the screeching of tires. A dirty white cargo van rounds a corner barely a block away and comes right at me.

“Watch out!” people shout behind me. The engine revs again. The van pulls up beside me. A side door slides open, and a man reaches out and attempts to grab me.

I jerk away. His fingers rake my skin as I turn back toward the beach, take two long strides, and dive over the sidewalk.

“Sydney!” Luke’s voice cuts through the noise as I slam into the sand, tuck myself into a ball, and roll down a slight incline.

I feel people scatter around me. I get a mouthful of sand and then another. Things blur around me. My cheek slams into something hard. My arm bounces off something I can’t identify.

“Watch out for the—”

I roll through a patch of beach grass, then come to a full stop when my head plows into what feels like the base of a sand dune.

My head is throbbing.

When I pry open my grit-filled eyes, Luke is kneeling over me. Grand is kneeling beside me. Brian stands a few steps behind her.

“Oh, thank God,” Grand whispers as she takes my hand and kisses it despite the sand that clings to it. “I was afraid we’d lost you.”

“You definitely gave us a scare, squirt.” Luke’s hand touches my shoulder. Even through my gritty eyes and his teasing tone, I can see how worried he was.

“Don’t move yet,” Luke says as he gently runs his hands over me, checking for broken bones, then makes sure my eyes can track the finger he moves back and forth.

Everything hurts. But Luke confirms that while I’m definitely scraped up and bruised, I’m apparently intact. He helps me up and places me in a beach chair. “Can you remember what happened?”

I squinch my eyes shut and see the white van barreling toward me. “Van. White. Thought it was trying to hit me but then someone tried to—”

“Yes, we saw someone try to kidnap you. Did you see his face? Or the driver’s face? Was it anyone you’d seen before?” he asks gently.

“No. I don’t think…no.” I close my eyes and try to rerun the scene again, but all I can think about is how muchI want to get off this beach. “Wanna go home…to Grand’s. Hungry.”

“Well, that sounds like good news,” Grand says.

“I’d be glad to pick up dinner and bring it over,” Brian offers.

“No,” Luke says without the least hesitation. “Sydney needs to take it easy. And I want to make sure to be there to keep an eye out.”

“Yes, that’s probably what we should do tonight, but thank you so much for offering, Brian. It was a nice surprise to see you here this afternoon,” Grand says.

“No problem,” Brian says with a polite smile.

“Why don’t you come with me,” Grand says to Brian. “I need to let my students into the store so that they can put their easels away. Since Luke is taking Sydney home, we can catch up while I close up the store.

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