Page 15 of Betrayal In Calusa Cove
“Hi, Baily, it’s Julie. We were watching the news and couldn’t believe what we saw about Calusa Cove. That’s crazy. Anyway, my father learned that the Crab Shack is up for auction, and I told him that it was right near the marina. It got me thinking about how much Ken wanted you to sell the marina. I can’t imagine that things are much better, and I suspect they’ll be worse now that the news broke that a serial killer was living right there…for years. Ken always said Dewey had a screw loose. Anyway, I wanted to remind you that we’ve got plenty of career opportunities for you here, and it would give you a chance to reconnect with your nephews. Just a thought. Call me anytime between nine in the morning and seven at night.”
The message ended, but the silence that followed roared louder than any thunder she’d ever experienced.
Fletcher let out a low breath. “Jesus. I’m not even sure how to unpack that.”
Baily tossed the phone on the counter, where it skidded and stopped near his keys. “The timing of that call makes me suspicious, and I don’t even know why, except I never liked her or her family. They’re all a bunch of rich snobs who look down on me and my life here in Calusa Cove. Like I’m some redneck or something.”
“Nothing wrong with having a little red on the collar.”
“She’s never wanted me in those boys’ lives,” Baily said bitterly. “Now she’s offering me a career opportunity? In exchange for seeing my brother’s kids? That’s cold. It also doesn’t make much sense. What difference does it make to her where I live or what I do with my damn life?”
“She always had opinions about me and the guys,” Fletcher said. “In the beginning, she voiced them, though not too loudly. After she and Ken married, she just stopped being around us. When she was, she let us know that Ken would be leaving the Navy. But I don’t like how she’s dangling your nephews like bait.” Fletcher squeezed her shoulder. “She’s trying to manipulate you, and I don’t understand why.”
“She was different in the beginning,” Baily said, voice quieter. “Or maybe I just thought she was.”
“I know we’ve been through this a million times, but is there any part of you that remembers anything about a conversation with Ken or your dad about that damn loan?”
Baily stared at the tiled floor, then nodded slowly. “Maybe. I don’t know. My dad and Ken argued a lot right before my dad died. However, Ken seemed tired the last few times I spoke with him. Worn out from deployments. From pressure. From being caught in the middle of things, and he was always so quick to fight with me.”
“Are you okay if I forward this message to myself and share it with the guys? And Chloe? Something about it feels like a warning, and it doesn’t sit right with me, especially since the marina was broken into and your gas was stolen.”
She stared at him, tears in her eyes. From anger. From frustration. And fear. “I’m so tired, Fletch. Of fighting for that marina. Of wondering what my brother got himself involved in. Of trying to hold everything together while the ground keeps shifting beneath me.”
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re not alone. I’m right here.”
Her lips parted. “You say that, but you’ve left before, and I’m sorry, I can’t forget that.”
“I know.” He closed the distance between them. “And I wish things had turned out differently with us. It’s hard, because the Navy…being a SEAL…it wasn’t a bad thing for me. I can’t regret that part of my life but hate what it did to us.”
She looked at him then—and as if she really saw him. The man who had once been hers. The one who knew her better than anyone. The one who still made her heart ache.
She stepped closer, rested her cheek against his chest, and let out a shaky breath as his arms came around her. “I don’t know what I want,” she whispered. “But I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
“You don’t have to be.” His hand splayed across her back. “You can stay here.”
She nodded against him. “Okay.”
They stood there for a long while, wrapped in quiet and the soft pulse of something that hadn’t burned out—it had just been waiting.
He tilted her chin with his thumb and brushed his lips against her mouth, slow and deliberate. He tasted like marshmallows, chocolates, and memories.
Drawing back, she laced her fingers through his and tugged him through the kitchen and toward the staircase. Once at the top, she shed her sweatshirt, dropping it to the floor, and toyed with the hem of her tank top.
“Baily,” Fletcher whispered. “When you said you didn’t want to be alone, I just figured you wanted to crash here, not…” He tugged her to his chest, crashed his mouth against hers, and assaulted her lips like she was his last meal.
His hands slid down her back, pulling her flush against him, his body hard as iron. One hand grabbed the nape of her neck, angling her head. She sighed against his lips, melting into him. The world, with all its troubles and puzzles, faded away.
His touch turned fiery, his hands exploring her with an urgency that roused her from her long-held sleep. Quickly, and without warning, he stepped back, ripping off his shirt and tossing it across the hallway. His fingers deftly found the bottom of her tank top, yanking it over her head and tossing it to join his on the floor.
A soft gasp slipped through her lips when his hand cupped her breast over her bra—a lacy pink number that she’d splurged on a few years ago. His thumb grazed over her nipple, and she nearly came undone.
“Want me to stop?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly with desire. He didn't wait for her answer. Instead, he bent his head to take the lacy-covered peak into his mouth. The feel of his tongue against her sent a series of shocks down her spine.
“No,” she whimpered, her fingers threading through his hair. “Don't stop, Fletcher.”
Her plea must have sparked something primitive within him, as he needed no further encouragement, and he navigated the clasp of her bra, freeing her breasts from their confinement. His warm hands enveloped her newly exposed skin, sending electricity jolting through her body.
“Baily...” He groaned as she nipped at his neck playfully, making him shiver beneath her exploring hands.
