Page 18 of Shining Pearls
I looked around to make sure no inquisitive ears from townspeople were within hearing range. Once I verified that only tourists were nearby, I answered Dean’s crass question. “Yeah, it was pretty obvious by his raging boner the night she got home.”
“What?!? Eww.” Dean raised his shoulders toward his neck, lifted both fists, and gave an exaggerated shiver of disgust as if he was trying to ward off my words.
I shook my head and smiled at his over-the-top reaction and said, “Well, you asked.”
“But I didn’t want to hearthat.” Dean bugged his eyes out in my direction as we reached the end of the jetty and leaned on the guardrail near the lighthouse.
The brisk wind off the water bit through my fleece jacket in a chill-inducing way that it hadn’t in town, so I stuffed my hands into my pockets. As was his usual, Dean had been able to lighten the mood and make me feel better about the entire horrendous situation with Alex and Claire. “I should have told you about this sooner.”
When he quirked a brow at me, I clarified. “By telling you, one of the very worst moments of my life now has a humorous memory attached to it.” Feeling emotional, I added, “You’re the best friend I could ever ask for.”
His look turned serious then as he gazed down at me. “Do you think I could ever be more to you than just a friend?”
His sincere gaze and odd question surprised me. Dean and I had never been anything to each other, except for close friends. I’d wondered on occasion if he might have stronger feelings for me, but this seemed like it was coming out of the blue.
“Umm. I now have a lot of baggage.” I pulled a hand out of my pocket to pat my stomach and emphasize my meaning before continuing, “Besides, aren’t you and Molly Malone all hot and heavy?”
The last thing I needed was to come between another happy couple. Molly was well-liked in this community, where I would always be an outsider––even if I lived here until I died––because I wasn’t born here.
“Molly’s great.” Dean’s expression was flat as he answered. He reached out and took the hand resting on my stomach within his before saying, “But she isn’t you.”
I gently eased my hand out of his and put it back in my pocket, wanting to shut this down before it turned into something that would threaten our easy friendship. “She also isn’t knocked up by another man and heartbroken over the loss of her first real relationship.”
At his slight nod, I continued singing Molly’s praises. “She thinks the sun and moon rise and set for you, Dean. You’re a remarkable man, and you deserve to be with someone who will choose you first every time. You shouldn’t ever be a consolation prize.”
Staring out at the glassy water, Dean answered, “Yes, I suppose so.”
“I know so,” I grinned up at him before reaching up and lightly patting him on the back.
Deciding a change of subject was in order, I tipped my head back to look up at the bright red lighthouse that was the most famous landmark in town. “Did you know that couples sometimes sneak into this lighthouse to do the deed?”
It was a silly way to refer to having sex, but for some reason it now felt odd to use stronger words for it with Dean. If he noticed my awkward word choice, he hid it well.
“Oh yeah,” he nodded. “It’s a famous location for people in town to lose their virginity.”
“Is it where you lost yours?” I asked him before thinking the question through. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to know the answer to that, but I was curious enough not to take it back.
“Nah,” he shook his head as his cheeks flamed pink at the memory.
It seemed like he wasn’t going to share any details, so I raised my eyebrows and waited.
He leaned in and stage whispered, “My first time was about thirty-seconds of unbridled passion in the back seat of the old Toyota Corolla I shared with my sister.”
“Eww.” I grimaced, wishing I hadn’t prodded. “Does Danica know what you did in her car?”
“No! And don’t tell her. She would never forgive me.” He bugged his eyes out behind his glasses as if he was truly afraid that I might rat him out to his older sister.
“Your secret is safe with me.” I made the motion of zipping and locking my lips with a pretend key before tossing it away.
We stood in comfortable silence for a long moment, leaning against the railing and gazing up at the beacon light. Deciding that he might actually know something about it, I shifted my gaze up to his face. “Hey, do you know why my Aunt Mimi hates this lighthouse so much?”
“No idea.” Dean shook his head, effectively dashing the hope that he might give me some insight into the outspoken, yet private woman who had taken me in to raise after my parents’ untimely deaths.
“It’s so strange, since everyone else in town is so proud of this landmark.”
Dean started to respond, but was interrupted by Molly’s voice. “Dean? Hi!”
The woman was wearing spandex workout gear, and her hair was pulled back into a swingy ponytail. She didn’t look nearly as cold as I felt, despite her lack of proper outerwear. She entered Dean’s personal space and tipped her face up for a kiss on the lips. When the kiss lingered for far too long, I finally cleared my throat.
