Page 180 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
Some days he still mourned for Indigo…weptfor her. And I wept with him, because I hated seeing him in pain. The ache of losing a loved one like that was an excruciating wound that would never fully heal.
Some days I still found myself searching for Jackson in a store and got a kick in the gut when I remembered that part of my life was over.
It was hard sometimes. Healing from past relationships. Past hurts.
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. “Do you want to talk?”
“Later.” He petted my hair. “Later.” His mouth quirked. “Your eyes aresparklingtonight, Pippi. Did you finish it?”
I squeezed his midsection. “Mission accomplished.”
He whooped. “Congratulations! Can I read it?”
“No.”
He pouted.
“It’s probably awful.”
“Oh psssst…” He swatted my bottom. “I’m sure it’s notawful.Unless it ends with the girl dying.”Alistair cupped my cheek and flashed me a serious look. “Is your book going to make me cry?”
“No. Happy endings all around in this one. For everyone. Even the villain…somewhat. Which is a sight better than the villain ofourstory.”
Rune Bloodworth still lived in the sea near the defunct Niverwick Isle. As far as we knew, anyway. That was the last place he’d been spotted six months ago.
No one had heard from Onyx since she’d left the isle last year.
“Excellent. Well…” Alistair tugged me in for a kiss that had my toes curling, and then whirled away.
“Gosh…slow,Alistair. We’ve talked about this.” I laughed as he sprinted back to the door. “Walk mode. I know you’ve got one.”
“That’s boring.” He waved his arm dismissively and snatched a bag from the doorway. “I’ve got a gift for you.”
“Oh yeah? What a coincidence. I’ve got one for you too.”
Which, it wasn’t a coincidence.
Today was May first, after all.
A full year since I’d dipped my bare-naked bottom into the water and somehow caught the love of my life.
Alistair leapt onto the countertop, parking his butt against the end and swinging his long legs along the side.
That poor countertop…
One day, when my landlord asked “How did you dent a solid piece of marble?”it would beveryhard to explain that I lived with a six-and-a-half-foot golden retriever who bounced offeverything.
“I actually havetwogifts for you,” Alistair said. “One serious and one, well…” He grinned coyly. “Which would you like first?”
“After that face you just pulled? Might as well lay the good one on me first.”
He gave his butt an excited wriggle—almost exactly like a dog wagging its tail—and plucked a neatly wrapped clothing box from the bag.
“Now,” he started, barely even giving me enough time to pull at the wrapping paper, “you don’t have to wearit. Of course, if youwantto, I won’t complain. But it’s completely optional.”
“I have to open it first…I…Oh my freaking—” I gasped when I pried the lid off the clothing box and peeped the teeny bikini draped inside.
Notjusta bikini, though.
